Jigsaw puzzle by Nina Torr
Buy online

Stach Szabłowski

is a wandering critic, curator and art historian from Warsaw.
The Trickster from Prague
Art + Stories
Experiences

The Trickster from Prague

There are countries in the world where an artist like David Černý would have long been in prison—or worse. But in the Czech Republic, this creator with no respect for all that the nation holds sacred is celebrated as the country’s most famous contemporary sculptor.  
Stach Szabłowski
Beware of Antiquity
Art + Stories
Experiences

Beware of Antiquity

The capital of North Macedonia was reconstructed as an ancient city in the twenty-first century—an expensive project that was backwards looking and ignored its inhabitants’ needs.
Stach Szabłowski
Crimson Ink
Art + Stories
Opinions

Crimson Ink

Art and war. No two spheres are at once more alike and more distant from each other. As Russia was amassing troops near the Ukrainian border, our critic found himself thinking about turning blood into art.
Stach Szabłowski
A Three-Dimensional Nothing
Art + Stories
Experiences

A Three-Dimensional Nothing

In the art world anything can happen, and at the same time nothing has to happen. Holography is a technique that artists have slightly forgotten. It’s a pity.
Stach Szabłowski
Don’t Follow the Wind
World + People
Science

Don’t Follow the Wind

In Japan, the Fukushima exclusion zone is contaminated with nuclear radiation. It is also the site of an atypical art exhibition.
Stach Szabłowski
An Army of Santas
Art + Stories
Experiences

An Army of Santas

In December 1974, a troop of bearded men in red suits took to the streets of Copenhagen. What was their Christmas message?
Stach Szabłowski
Why Toppling Statues Is A Good Thing
World + People
Dreams and Visions

Why Toppling Statues Is A Good Thing

In recent months, Black Lives Matter protests against racism have seen the toppling of various statues in the UK and US. In Poland, our statues are being ‘protected’ – from the LGBT rainbow flag.
Stach Szabłowski
The Evil Continent
Art + Stories
Art

The Evil Continent

Do we already belong to a lost civilization, although we do not yet know it? Does President Erdoğan have any painting talent? Will the seventh continent become the new Pangea? And what does the contemporary art world think about all of this?
Stach Szabłowski
War, Never Again?
Art + Stories
Opinions

War, Never Again?

What can art do about fascism? Where does the border between artistic creation and propaganda lie? And can the latest exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw answer either of these questions?
Stach Szabłowski
Are Art People Worse Than Hired Killers?
Art + Stories
Opinions

Are Art People Worse Than Hired Killers?

In the horror film “Velvet Buzzsaw”, vengeful artworks murder, disembowel and decapitate those who work in the art world. Why don’t we like people from this milieu?
Stach Szabłowski
High Culture in the Magic Mountains
World + People
Dreams and Visions

High Culture in the Magic Mountains

The lofty peaks of the Alps have long had elitist appeal. This might explain why Grażyna Kulczyk decided to open Muzeum Susch among their rarefied atmosphere.
Stach Szabłowski
Slow Art in Susch
Art + Stories
Experiences

Slow Art in Susch

Polish art collector Grażyna Kulczyk’s project is a modern art museum nestled in a sleepy Swiss village in the Alps. Our art writer explores the extraordinary Muzeum Susch.
Stach Szabłowski