Between Worlds – The First Suitcase Exhibition of Polish Paintings in Iceland // Group Exhibition of Artists from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, 9–12 April 2026
A rectangular box with a handle, designed to hold a traveller's clothes.
and his personal belongings.“
This is how a Polish dictionary defines a suitcase. If we look at the history
of the suitcase, we can see a clear connection between its development and the rise
number of transport links and tourism. Distant countries, which were not previously
Accessible to many, lands described in stories are now possible.
for people to visit.
The suitcase opens doors to the wide world. The suitcase provides freedom.
The suitcase arouses curiosity. The suitcase is a tool to touch them.
a puzzle that was previously inaccessible. But the suitcase also sets
restrictions.
How can you pack all the necessary things into a small
travel bag? It is important to leave out everything that is not necessary. Choose
the lifestyle and attitudes of minimalism, at least temporarily during
The journey continues. To plan, to anticipate and to reflect. Suddenly, everyone becomes
Things that normally make daily life an unnecessary burden.
But what if it were possible to pack an exhibition into a suitcase? Such a question was asked by
Marek Sapetto was in the 1980s when he thought about difficult political
a position in his home country. He organised small exhibitions in private homes and
workshops and thus bypassed the organisational constraints of state-run ones
gallery. He turned the suitcase into a symbol of freedom of expression and independence.
Following the example of Marek Sapetto, a former professor at the Academy of Arts in
Warsaw, along with a related group of artists from the Academy of Fine Arts, is also using
the suitcase as an opportunity and a challenge. Despite different political and
The social reality is the need to seek new ways and reach
viewers than appropriate. The small format of the artworks necessitates a change in
translating figurative thinking into clear messages. The little artworks help to
Overcome obstacles, reach distant places and foster cultural dialogue.
The suitcase will become a tool to get around slow, institutional
processes and often transforms the tiresome preparation of a show into
A spontaneous adventure.
We hope that these works will present the nature in a concise and effective way.
the creations of the artists featured here and, through them, provide an insight into
a fragment of the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the Academy of Fine Arts in
Warsaw.
Artists:
Wojciech Adam Bański
Katarzyna Dyjewska
Anna Jankowicz
Łukasz Jankowicz
Marcin Jurkiewicz
Przemysław Klimek
Marcin Kozłowski
Marcin Kozłowski Jr
Grzegorz Mroczkowski
Alina Picazio
New Year's Eve Piędzejewski
Paweł Pogorzelski
Igor Przybylski
Jacek Staszewski
Piotr Wachowski
Artur Winiarski
Curator:
Magdalena Maria Urbanek-Banska
Wojciech Adam Bański
Marcin Kozłowski
Elvar Gunnarsson
Special exhibition opening will be on Thursday, 9th April from 18:00-20:00 and you
You are welcome!
LG // Litla Gallerý is supported by the Culture and Tourism Committee.
Hafnarfjörður's due to the event
—————————–
In Between The Worlds – The first ever suitcase exhibition
of polish paintings in iceland
“A rectangular case with a handle designed to hold a traveller's clothing
and personal articles”
That's all a dictionary would say about a suitcase. If we were to look
By closely examining the history of this invention, we would see a clear link between its
development and the rise of tourism and mass transit. Distant lands, once
Available only to a few, they are now easily accessible to everyone. A
A suitcase opens the door to the wide world. A suitcase gives freedom. A
A suitcase arouses curiosity. A suitcase is a tool to grasp a mystery.
previously beyond reach.
A suitcase, however, enforces limits. How are we supposed to put all the
Things we need for travel in one small box? We need to radically cut out
everything that is not necessary. To choose a minimalist lifestyle, if only
for the length of the journey. To plan, to anticipate, to think through.
Now, suddenly, all the things created to make our life easier become an
unnecessary burden.
And what if one were to pack an exhibition into a suitcase? This was the
question Marek Sapetto posed in the 1980s, facing the difficult political
situation in his country. He organised a series of miniature exhibitions in
private studios and apartments, bypassing the structural constraints of
official state galleries. He transformed the suitcase into a symbol of
freedom of speech, independence and swift, precise action.
Following the example of Marek Sapetto, a former professor at the Academy
of Fine Arts in Warsaw, a group of artists affiliated with the school
decides to treat the suitcase as both an opportunity and a challenge.
Despite the radically different political and social context, the need to
seeking new paths to reach the audience remains relevant. The small formats of
the works enforce a shift in visual thinking towards precise messages. They
allow us to overcome logistical difficulties, to reach distant locations,
to intensify cultural dialogue. The suitcase now becomes a tool for
bypassing the slow institutional procedures and turns exhausting
Preparations into a spontaneous adventure.
We hope that these works will briefly and precisely, in a few “visual
words”, present the nature of the work of participating artists and,
through them – a glimpse of the rich and diverse heritage of the Academy of
Fine Arts in Warsaw.
Artists:
Wojciech Adam Bański
Katarzyna Dyjewska
Anna Jankowicz
Łukasz Jankowicz
Marcin Jurkiewicz
Przemysław Klimek
Marcin Kozłowski
Marcin Kozłowski Jr
Grzegorz Mroczkowski
Alina Picazio
New Year's Eve Piędzejewski
Paweł Pogorzelski
Igor Przybylski
Jacek Staszewski
Piotr Wachowski
Artur Winiarski
Curated by:
Magdalena Maria Urbanek-Banska
Wojciech Adam Bański
Marcin Kozłowski
Elvar Gunnarsson
There will be a Opening of a special exhibition on Thursday, 9th April from
6-8 pm and you're welcome!
Other opening hours
Fri 10th Apr 16:00 – 20:00
Sat 11th Apr 13:00 – 17:00
Sun 12th Apr 14:00 – 17:00
LG // Litla Gallerý is sponsored by the Culture and Tourism Committee of
Hafnarfjörður for this event.
