Anna Kołacka

I work in painting. I am interested in the world of organic matter. The forms that appear in my paintings refer to the micro-world, invisible to the human eye without the use of measuring instruments. It is an imagined world, yet rooted in reality, which aims to sensitize viewers to the pulsating, mysterious matter that surrounds us. I try to make viewers aware that even seemingly dead matter is full of life. There is no binary division between what is natural and what is artificial here, following Donna Haraway’s thinking.

In my practice, I explore the “life of nature,” its origins, and the structure and shape of matter. I am fascinated by the awareness that we are part of a single ecosystem with all organisms, connected by processes we do not perceive. The monumental scale of my works arises from the need to convey the immersive character of natural phenomena.

Projections displayed on some works enhance the sense of vitality and continuous movement of what lies beneath the surface of phenomena. It is an attempt to capture the organic energy that permeates everything and connects us with what is non-human.

annarozakolacka@gmail.com

Anna Kołacka (b. 1992, Poznań). Painter, creator of projections for paintings, and assistant professor in the 17th Drawing Studio, led by Prof. Tomasz Bukowski at the Magdalena Abakanowicz University of the Arts in Poznań. She holds a doctorate from the Faculty of Painting and Drawing, and a master’s degree obtained in 2016, also from UAP. She has been nominated, among others, for the 13th Eugeniusz Geppert Competition, and has been a finalist in numerous contests, including LOOSTRO and New Image/New Perspective. She is a recipient of the Young Art Medal, the Grand Prix Franciszka Eibisch, as well as scholarships from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (MKiDN) and the Marshal of the Greater Poland Voivodeship.

She has participated in exhibitions in Poland and abroad, most recently at MOS, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Szydłowski’ Gallery, BWA Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, the 10th Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture at OCT Contemporary Art Terminal in Shenzhen, the 16th Asia-Europe Biennale at ArtIstanbul Feshane in Istanbul, and the Open City Festival in Lublin.

In her painting, she explores questions about the structure of matter and its nature. She is interested in the post-human world, one without the presence of humans. In her free time, she enjoys swimming.