Archiwum Edukacji #21 – Tears of Joy. Who is crying for critical art today?

„Who are exhibitions made for? Whose stories do they tell and who is not represented in them and feels out of place in an art gallery? What role should the institution play today and what needs should it respond to?’ - These were the questions posed by the curators of the Tears of Happiness exhibition. However, as critical commentary arose from the artists and theorists taking part in the performance programme, the questions began to multiply. The performers, as well as the audience, pointed to issues that seem problematic today: the way old age and illness are portrayed; the objectification of a loved one; the portrayal of people with dysfunctions as curiosities, flawed and out of sorts; approaches to the rights of non-humans, animals. A group of female artists, theorists, activists sent a letter requesting the burial of the animal remains from Katarzyna Kozyra's work The Pyramid of Animals. The Young British Artists, or YBA for short, employed similar artistic strategies in the 1990s. How were they influenced by the different economic and social conditions in the two countries: in Britain it was the crisis, triggered by the sudden deregulation of the financial markets in 1986, while in Poland it was the turbulent process of political transformation after 1989. Have discussions on the achievements of the YBA swept through in the UK? What impact did the institutionalisation and commercialisation of the works have on them? Which of their activities have changed the art landscape? And which ones would we prefer to forget?

A discussion on the shadows and glories, inconsistencies and continuities of both formations will be led by representatives of the AICA, which is co-organising the event.