THE HILLS HAVE EYES
Bolesław Chromry | Rafał Dominik | Magdalena Sawicka
26.08-18.09.2021
The title of the group exhibition The Hills Have Eyes refers to horror films, the original movie from the 1970s and its sequels and remakes. Well, life itself can sometimes resemble a B-grade horror movie rented on DVD. It may be embarrassingly creepy, but also trigger peals of nervous giggling. We live in a time of unprecedented polarization of society and mutual hostility. Cannibalistic, cinematic creatures embody the idiocy, acrimony, hatred, and ignorant gibberish that keeps bombarding us on a daily basis. However, while you can turn off a movie at any time and put the disc back in the box, you cannot easily get rid of the contents of your head. You need to get used to it. Just like you need to get used to the post-pandemic reality that artists are diving into.
Walls have ears. Muscles have anabolics. Faces don’t have any expression. In 2021, society is not unkind. Society is furious. Society is seething. After the political transformation, it is time for an emotional transformation. Let’s hurry to draw it before they start selling guns in your local corner shop.
The trio of artists: Bolesław Chromry, Rafał Dominik and Magda Sawicka do not use their art to contest situations or behaviours. They do not want to judge or comment them. Their contribution is to cut a share of the social cake. Or a slice of it. And put it on a dessert plate, because after all, that is where we are stuck together up to our ears. In a horror movie. Treat yourself and watch out, because the hills have eyes.
curator
Katarzyna Piskorz
Bolesław Chromry (b. 1987)
Polish illustrator, author of graphic novels, painter, graphic artist, creator of covers and posters. A graduate of the Faculty of Graphics at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. Bolesław Chromry is an artistic pseudonym. He has published four graphic novels published by the Krakow-based Korporacja ha! Art publishing house. He illustrated magazines, incl. Gazeta Wyborcza, Wysokie Obcasy, Pismo, Szum Magazine and Contemporary Lynx. Creator of hundreds of drawings commenting on Polish reality. He lives and works in Warsaw.
Rafał Dominik (b. 1985)
Polish painter, draftsman, he also creates animations, sculptures and 3D objects. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, majoring in painting (the studio of prof. Leon Tarasewicz). Dominik is a founder and vocalist of the Galactics discopoly band. He is inspired by contemporary popular culture , his aesthetics are reminiscent of a comic book or a computer game. He lives and works in Warsaw.
Magdalena Sawicka (b. 1990)
She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, majoring in painting in 2014 (the studio of prof. Dariusz Vasina in 2014). She creates drawings, illustrations, as well as paintings, graphics and tattoos. In her drawings and paintings she combines delicacy and sensuality. The intimate nature of the works is emphasized by their small sizes and careful selection of papers. Sawicka uses old notebooks and drawing pads or even library reverses that she had found in second-hand bookstores and friends' cellars. She lives and works in Warsaw.
