our projects
An Unwavering Commitment to the Arts in Times of Crisis
We live in an era marked by constant crises, and we trust the ability of art and culture to help transition to more just and sustainable futures.
Fundacja Ziemniaki i is dedicated to supporting cultural workers through exhibitions, workshops, publications, events and more. We don’t do it alone, though. Many of our projects have a collaborative and networked approach.
Here’s what we’ve been up to.
Przesilenie Równonoc
In 2022 we were able to help Alicja Wysocka organise her yearly solstice event that reclaims pagan, harvest, thanksgiving and Slavic celebrations of autumn equinox. Located at Grodno lake, Nowogród, Kuyavian-Pomeranian. Featuring Alicja Wysocka and sound performance by Ari-Pekka Leinonen.
FRINGE WARSZAWA
In 2022, Ziemniaki i co-initiated FRINGE Warszawa, a four day event to advocate and showcase the vibrant artist-run scene in Warsaw. Since then, the event has grown from a group of nine spaces (Fundacja Ziemniaki i, o/b/c/y artist run space, marszałkowska|18, Inne Towarzystwo, pop-up Koszykowa 35, Curie City / Warsaw Bauhaus, Przyszła Niedoszła, Lele Art Space) to showcasing 80 initiatives in 2024.
Supermarket Art Fair
We were invited to exhibit at Supermarket Artf air 2023, where we exhibited the work of Agnieszka Cieszanowska (c l u s t e r e d), Ola Korbańska (ALL WILL END WELL) and Alicja Wysocka (multiple works). Josh Plough also gave a talk on the artist-run scene in Warsaw, as well as taking part in a panel discussion on cultural institutions and ecology.
How to Make Rockets Disappear
This book is based on a project by Darja Lukjanenko of a similar name that speculates on the role of rockets in Ukraine and the world at large. It touches on the themes of cosmism, decolonialism and non-humans. Featuring additional contributions from Yuliia Elyas, Bohdana Zayats, Kateryna Ruzhyna. Design, Printing, and Production: Okazjonalne Wydawnictwo Stopka Edited by Nadiia Koval and Iva Naidenko 2024. Published within the framework of the project Under the Lying Stone, Water Does Not Flow, which has been funded by the IZOLYATSIA foundation, Trans Europe Halles, and Malý Berlín, and co-financed by the ZMINA: Rebuilding program, created with the support of the European Union under a dedicated call for proposals to support Ukrainian displaced people and the Ukrainian Cultural and Creative Sectors.
Strange Stories and Where to Tell Them.
In 2023 we organised an online residency and mentorship programme on the theme of more-than-human architecture. Ringailė Demštyė’s project Fungi Pavilion was selected and she received mentorship from Noud Sleumer, Natalia Budnik, Josh Plough, and Adam Markuszewski. Ringailė produced a fascinating low-impact design for a collaborative more-than-human space that facilitates interaction between people and mushrooms. Her project addressed the way we think about our relationship with the natural world and the possibilities for collaboration with other species.
I Dream of the Absinthium Field
A republished edition of the book of the same name by Kateryna Rudenko documenting the harrowing story of one woman’s escape from the full scale Russian invasion, interspersed with Ukrainian folk songs. This new edition features an expanded essay by Kateryna on dreaming, time and landscapes, a text and artworks by Iryna Zamuruieva and an eerie folkloric tale by Dalia Zhdanovskyy. Design, Printing, and Production: Okazjonalne Wydawnictwo Stopka. Edited by Josh Plough 2024. Published within the framework of the project Under the Lying Stone, Water Does Not Flow, which has been funded by the IZOLYATSIA foundation, Trans Europe Halles, and Malý Berlín, and co-financed by the ZMINA: Rebuilding program, created with the support of the European Union under a dedicated call for proposals to support Ukrainian displaced people and the Ukrainian Cultural and Creative Sectors.
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köroẅǫḑ exhibition
The exhibition features interactive 3D landscape and textile artworks which explore themes of spirituality, mysticism and Slavic folklore. Three polish artists/designers investigate visual symbols – questioning what today can be considered traditional, familiar or local. Whether it’s Polish folklore iconography or perhaps pop-cultural symbolism embedded in the digital space, the approaches taken are often intuitive, sometimes chaotic, always embedded in two realms of mundane and spiritual. Artists: Ada Krenz, Agnieszka Cieszanowska, Sonia Górecka.
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How Do Libraries Live?
The Potato Library was temporarily located at the Faculty of Design of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. The pop-up reading room was a pretext to reflect on the research of Anna Jurdzi Jurgielewicz and the uncertain role of such places and the possibility of their survival as spaces created with specific communities in mind and. Link to the research: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVNxLGvFg=/ (Password: librarypractice)
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The Body Folkloric Residency
In October 2024 five artists and cultural workers were invited for a month-long residency organised by Ziemniaki i and hosted by Godki 22. The theme was folklore and its contemporary relevance and how it helps us conceptualise and fight the climate catastrophe and biodiversity loss. The selected residents were: Tony Lashden, Lena Longefay, Mohar Kalra, Kazia Strojnowska and Beatrice Moumdjian. Curatorial feedback was provided by Katie Zazenski. The project was made possible thanks to the support of Culture Moves Europe and the Goethe Institute. Image Credit: Lena Longefay
Things, Things, Things
The exhibition brought the work of eleven artists and designers into contact with the publications in The Potato Library. We hope the presence of these works, selected through an open call, will expand, permeate and reflect on the knowledge stored in the books. Exhibiting Artists and Designers: Staś MacLeod, Julia Bujak, Matylda Wolwowicz, Anna Nowakowska, Guoda Šulskytė, Julia Ciunowicz, Katarzyna Kowalska, Ludmila Bubanova, Marcin Pietrucin, Ola Lewczyk, Weronika Krupa. Graphic Identity: Robert Boliński