BWA Contemporary Art Gallery in Katowice

The catalogue of the 22nd Biennial of Polish Poster features reproductions of the posters which received awards, and shortlisted works which were selected for the exhibition.

‘Contemporary Polish artists are mainly troubled by the lack of a thriving artistic market. As the demand for artistic posters has decreased, the young generation of artists often receive commissions from other sources, which have been enabled by modern graphic design forms. Institutions commission artists to create a symbol of a company name, that is – their logotype (abbreviated to a logo). While designing a logo, a poster designer can use their experience and ability to match a visual symbol to intended content. There is also another kind of influence – a graphic designer's experience affects the form of the poster. As a result, posters tend to include a succinct, synthetic, single sign, just as in the case of a logotype.
This year the Grand Prix was awarded to Agnieszka Ziemiszewska for her poster entitled Mam lęk wysokości (I Have a Fear of Heights), which is dominated by a simple image of a succinct black and white symbol. There are two other works which bear a similar visual message: Konsumpcjonizm (Consumerism) by Marcelina Rydelek (Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków Award) and Hope for Peace by Magdalena Wosik (Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw Award).’

Tomasz Gryglewicz (fragment)

• 22nd Biennial of the Polish Poster — catalogue
• Organizers