Alma Mater

Alma Mater – Prologue
BWA Zielona Góra
January 17 – February 9, 2025

Artists: Dorota Kozieradzka, Anna Panek, Irmina Staś, Maryna Tomaszewska
Curator: Marta Czyż

The Latin phrase “Alma Mater” translates as “nourishing mother.” Historically, this term was used to describe medieval institutions of higher learning, including universities and academies. The exhibition at BWA Zielona Góraexplores the impact of motherhood on the well-being of contemporary female artists and academic lecturers. These two worlds inevitably overlap and collide. Motherhood manifests in their artistic practice in various ways—not only through the themes they explore but also through its more pragmatic aspects, such as the time available for work, exhaustion, and focus. It often reaches a point where it becomes a recurring theme in their artistic output.

This exhibition on “nourishing mothers” examines how women navigate the interplay between these three roles—mother, artist, and academic—how they influence one another, and what the cost of this balance is.

As part of the exhibition, the action “WE SLEEP” referenced the history of BWA Zielona Góra, particularly the past events:

• “We Do Not Sleep” – a performance from the “Złote Grono” Symposium of Visual Arts (1966) featuring Mieczysław Dymny, Stanisław Szczepański, and Tomasz Wawak
• “We Are Not Sleeping!” – an exhibition curated in May 2010 by Katarzyna Karwańska, Magdalena Nowak, and Stanisław Welbel

This action not only addressed the fatigue of mothers, artists, and academics but also reflected on the exhaustion experienced by everyone.