MARIUSZ KRUK

At moments when we encounter something unfamiliar, the first emotion accompanying us is anxiety. The fear that involuntarily builds up in us is the result of an unavoidable relationship with the unknown. Overwhelmed by the fear possessing the mind and, in some cases, the body, we are faced with the choice of one of two paths. We can ignore and push the encounter with the unknown factor out of our consciousness or attempt to understand it. Trying to escape seems to be by far the more responsible and safer option, but it is getting out of our comfort zone that opens up the possibility of exploring the undiscovered secrets that reality holds. When deciding on option number two, it is important to bear in mind the risk inherent in human nature, associated with the attraction to beautiful things. Something that is beautiful first of all arouses our desire because of how it looks, and it is for this reason that we subconsciously wish to establish a relationship with the object or creature in question. To be around it, to observe it and, as much as possible, to bodily absorb its presence. On the other hand, when the object encountered is not visually appealing to us, we are less inclined to decide to establish any kind of interaction with it. All kinds of perspectives leading to possible further cognition are blocked.

In Mariusz Kruk's work, the aesthetic categories of beauty and ugliness are revealed in an alternation that occurs between presence and disappearance. Unveiling and concealing. The beauty inherent in matter reveals its face in the shape, texture and form it takes. We can discover it in a discarded piece of aluminium sheet, a piece of wood or a few coloured beads found in a drawer.

By wishing to categorise all the objects we encounter on our way and determine their aesthetic value in a cardinal way, we simultaneously trivialise their existence. From this perspective, the analysis of beauty in the face of beauty itself seems completely meaningless - hence the decision to abandon the naming of the exhibition. Kruk aims to completely objectify the perception of the object. By bringing the simplicity of its existence to the fore, she gives it the right to function at different levels of its meaning. The sublimity thus sought - hidden in simplicity - brings the possibility of understanding the meaning of being itself closer. It allows objects to function independently of their external connotations. To resonate as self-contained entities whose only role is to present their inner ideas, which appear as Kruk's main source of inspiration. Thus departing from the interpretation of reality conceived as a juxtaposition of specific forms marked by a specific aesthema, Kruk creates the right conditions for the potential viewer to look at the object in a pure way.

Mariusz Kruk's second solo exhibition at MOLSKI gallery&collection will present more than a dozen painting objects characteristic of the artist's work, as well as works on paper. The collected works created between 2017 and 2024 will attempt to create a turn towards seeing the beauty in the original origin of the object.

Opening: 19.04.2024 at 18:00

Exhibition: 20.04. - 18.05.2024