Who Can Be a Polish Artist? Art History and the National Agenda

Poland became a mono-ethnic society in the aftermath of the Holocaust and as a result of post-war expulsions and ethnic cleansing associated with changes in the country's borders and the establishment of communist rule. Until the second half of the 20th century, the country was inhabited by Jews, Ukrainians, Germans, Belorussians, as well as Roma, Lemkos and Boykos. Before the Second World War, one third of Polish citizens belonged to various minorities.

In my presentation, I will focus on how the concept of "Polish" art was created through an art historical praxis that largely reduced this diversity. Using examples of artists with complex biographies and identities, such as Henryk Berlewi, Alina Szapocznikow, or Andrzej Wróblewski, I analyze how they have been inscribed in art history as "Polish artists". I also reflect on contemporary discursive practices, including exhibitions, that attempt to resist nationalist tendencies and create broader frameworks that deconstruct the notion of nationhood and offer alternative models for fostering community.