plac Małachowskiego (infront of Zachętą gallery)

curator: Bartłomiej Struzik

Limited to white, black and greyscale, the colour palette has won the right to define modernity, elegance and good taste in many areas of life. With the proliferation of glass, steel and concrete, the architectural environment becomes imperceptibly but consistently achromatic in a disturbing way. Scandinavian cities, where the tradition of using colour in architecture is well known, are now sounding the alarm: we’re going grey — let’s save the colour and atmosphere of the cities!

Marzena Turek Gas goes against the trend. She invites us to celebrate colour together. The spatial forms she uses to construct her microcosm seem to be merely a pretext for the manifestation of colour in its apparent immediacy. Organic structures at the intersection of sculpture and design create a space of mutually resonant elements that invite spontaneous exploration. Visitors will be able to touch, stroke, and embrace the sculptural details, and even lie comfortably on them. In the sensual experience of form, in the unpretentious absolute and unconditional affirmation of colour, the sculptural installation Shape of Colour is an invitation to embark on a dreamlike journey and rediscover the most elementary spatial and chromatic phenomena.

Marzena Turek Gas, whose creative work has been recognised both nationally and internationally, has been creating colourful compositions on two-dimensional surfaces as well as spatial installations for many years. The artist engages in a creative dialogue at the intersection of sculpture and design, drawing extensively and consciously from the realm of painting. Does the essence of her art lie in the pursuit of attractive colour variations and compositional games, or does the guise of playing with form and colour conceal a deeper reflection on our relationship with the environment, our dynamic and emotionally engaged presence in space?

Marzena Turek Gas is a Doctor of Fine Arts, painter, visionary and designer. A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Faculty of Graphic Arts in Katowice, she is a three-time recipient of grants from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. She was the first artist in the world to paint monumental canvases over 200 square metres using rollerblades. She is the author of the Shapes of Colour/All Size project and the large-scale relief from this series, which was realised in the Praga district of Warsaw (2011–2021) as part of the Art in Public Space competition. The latest iteration of the project is on display at the Zachęta (2023). Her artistic achievements include 180 solo and group exhibitions in countries such as England, Japan, Korea, the United States, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Her work can be found in museums, art institutions and private collections in America, Europe and Asia. She creates and lives in Warsaw. (marzenaturek.com)