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There is a large group of works identified as self-portraits in Zachęta’s collection, as well as works directing our attention to such a meaning. The former is evidenced by the titles and the similarity of the images to their authors. The self-portrait nature of the latter group is indicated by factors related to issues of identity, interests and artistic practices of the artists, reflected in their paintings, sculptures or works on paper. The theme of the self-portrait has a long tradition in art, and its carrying power means that it is taken up by all generations of visual artists. Self-portraits are an expression of the artists’ subjective perception of reality in the relation of ‘me and society’; therefore, their meaning goes far beyond the gesture of presenting oneself to the world. The selection of works at the current show includes graphics by Andrzej Dudek-Dürer, Eugeniusz Get-Stankiewicz and Grzegorz Marszałek, paintings by Krystyna Jachniewicz, Janusz Przybylski, Andrzej Tryzno and Mira Żelechower-Aleksiun, as well as sculptures by Alina Szapocznikow and Monika Zawadzki. They come from different moments of the creation of the Zachęta collection and represent a broad spectrum of artistic attitudes, showing the diversity of the collection resulting from the transformations in Polish art from the 1960s to the present day, as well as the history of the institution which has been consistently building its own collection.

guide: Sara Herczyńska