Satyrykon w Muzeum Karykatury w Warszawie 2017

Satyrykon 2017 at Museum of Caricature and Cartoon Art in Warsaw

The varnishing day next Monday, 4 December 2017. Please feel invited…

Tolerance is the theme of Satyrykon jubilee edition. Although it is the presumed attractiveness and significance to “the world” which stands behind our yearly choice of theme rather than any other “inner” or nostalgic reasons, this years’ topic finely summarizes the last forty years. Gradual opening to new spheres and a dream of gathering in Legnica pot all contradictions rather not in order to compromise them as much as to befriend with them against all the odds, has been at heart of this oldest satirical competition in Poland since its very beginning.

As professor Dariusz Vasina, this year’s edition Jury chairman, puts it: these widely opened friendly arms are a beautiful gesture but also a curse at the same time. Particularly for the jurors who keep asking “How are we to compare it?”

Most of the artists presented at the exhibition have already become well known figures. They are quite known in their countries and in the satirical global village which the world turned into. Part of their fame comes from their long standing participation in Satyrykon. Starting from Wiktor Bogorad to Jugoslav Vlahović, from Jacek Ćwikła to Leszek Żebrowski. The best of the best? Sure, though three-quarters of equally known and titled celebrities – as every year – have ended up outside the exhibition. They all may stay anonymous only for some jurors, masters, representing very distant cultural spheres who professionally operate in rather not “competition” related reality or even dealing in their everyday life with completely different forms of creation than satire. Such impartiality, whatever small drawback it carries, often brings some refreshing results. All in all, nothing is more appreciating for drawing craft and workshop as well as classical satirical choice than this year’s exhibition.

Contrary to the common belief that satirical competitions outcomes are less and less amusing, you might have your giggle here. Poetry lovers shouldn’t feel disappointed, too. “Tolerance” and “Joke and Satire” are well balanced here. Time after time we’ll have some trouble how to qualify what we’re looking at. It seems to be an unexpected aspect of wide as much as fluent “theme”… The malcontents, as usual, will complain they haven’t learnt or seen anything new. But isn’t that enough to capture some obvious thoughts and pour them in the image lasting so long in our heads?!

The ones who have been seen at competition and its exhibition for the first time – which is treated as a sort of accolade – are the easiest to mention: Sergei Belozerow, Maria Frasunkiewicz (already second grade of plastic secondary school), Alicja Gapińska, Justyna Gołaszewska, Elham Hemmat, Agnieszka Jewańska, Zahra Hosein Nashtaei, Reinaldo Pagan Avila, Anna Pałosz, Sławomir Sadowski, Sławomir Sosiński, Jakub Wianecki…

So many deserve our thanking for having been loyal to Satyrykon for so long (a long list of those indeed). Others deserve our thanksgiving for their returns (they know who we mean). Such returns always bring a lot of joy. So thank you all, we’re waiting for you next year and welcome you to this exhibition. From viewers, in turn, we expect to be everything but not too tolerant.

http://www.muzeumkarykatury.pl/

The ones who cannot come to Museum of Caricature and Cartoon Art in Warsaw are encouraged to visit Satyrykon 2017 from A to Ż exhibition at our website.

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