10.12—11.03.2025
𝐎𝐥𝐚𝐟 𝐁𝐫𝐳𝐞𝐬𝐤𝐢 | 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭!
Exhibition opening: 10.12.2024 (Tuesday), 5:00 pm
Where: Gallery, 1 p. OP ENHEIM, 4 Solny Square, Wroclaw.
Duration of the exhibition: 10.12.2024-11.03.2025
Series of guided tours of the exhibition: bit.ly/3Btdkc3
Opening hours: https://openheim.org/pl/odwiedz-nas/
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The latest solo exhibition by Olaf Brzeski – acclaimed visual artist, sculptor, and draughtsman, as well as creator of installations and experimental films – tells the story of a lion that has escaped its cage in search of freedom. The vernissage will take place at OP ENHEIM in Wrocław on Tuesday, 10 December, at 5 PM.
Upon entering the first gallery room, visitors encounter the empty abode of the animal, its recent presence suggested by the lingering scent it left behind. The subsequent rooms unfold as fragments of a sequence, forming a narrative shaped not only by the artist’s objects and gestures but also by the viewer’s sensitivity and imagination. The objects and situations in the exhibition were created specifically for this venue – the former residential quarters of the Oppenheim House from pre-war Breslau, now home to the OP ENHEIM Gallery.
In Brzeski’s words:
“Animal-human and domestic-cosmic themes are intertwined in this story. Objects, sculptures, installations, drawings – big things are juxtaposed with small things. I have arranged the whole linearly, like a film. A multi-genre film that is a mixture of camp, science fiction, thriller, road cinema, and poetic images in the spirit of Andrei Tarkovsky – things that have shaped my sensibility”.
The exhibition features Brzeski’s most recent works, created specifically for this space, alongside older pieces that he describes as “wonderfully suited here.” Enthusiasts of Brzeski’s work will recognize his signature methods of evoking the distinctive tension characteristic of his art. The figure of Francis, Brzeski’s long-time friend and muse, also reappears in this story. The title, Excellent!, serves as a magic word, inviting viewers into an adventurous world.
Born in Wrocław in 1975, Olaf Brzeski has exhibited his work in solo and group shows both in Poland and internationally. He was nominated for the prestigious Paszport Polityki award of Polityka weekly in 2013. A three-time recipient of the Ministry of Culture scholarship, he has also held residencies at the ISCP in New York and Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin (2014–2015). He creates sculptures, drawings, and experimental films. He currently lives and works in Wrocław.
In 2024, Brzeski was nominated for the Wrocław Art Prize for his total vision and artistic biography, as well as his piercing and seductive concepts, realized with attention to the smallest detail, engaging the audience and evoking emotional responses. The results of the jurors’ vote will be announced during the opening of Excellent! on 10 December.
The exhibition and accompanying intermedia activities have been funded by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU program and the Municipality of Wrocław.
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On the opening day, admission to the exhibition is free, and the gallery will remain open until 8:00 PM, with exhibition staff available to share insights about the objects and narrative.
From the following day onward, visits will require a ticket to the OP ENHEIM Gallery. The exhibition will be open to the public until 11 March 2025.
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Ansambl: Łukasz Adamski, Monika Opieka, Daria Pietryka and Francis Thorburn with special participation of Katarzyna Roj
Promotion: Maria Majchrowska
Visual identification: Jurek Mossakowski
Production: Łukasz Bałaciński, Marcin Pecyna
Translation: Karol Waniek, Volkmar Umlauft
Special thanks: Adrianna Duchnicka
Collaboration: Karolina Jara, Weronika Kałuża, Iga Mikuśkiewicz, Valentina Schaiko, Ivan Shpak, Viktoriia Tofan, Agnieszka Wróblewska
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Organizer: OP ENHEIM | VOP
Honorary Patron: WOMAK
Patron: Nedcon Silesia, CHORS
Partners: Raster, KEIM, OPEN-Reklama Oksana Solnik-Krzyżanowska
Media Patrons: Radio Nowy Świat, SZUM Magazine, Mint Magazine, Niezła Sztuka, NN6T, Pismo Artystyczne Format
The project Olaf Brzeski | Excellent! and a series of intermedia activities was financed by the European Union NextGenerationEU and with funds from the Municipality of Wroclaw.
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