Alicja Cichowicz (Poland)
bio: Alicja Cichowicze is a graduate of the University of Łódź (Film Studies) and The Institute of Theology, Łódź (Philosophy). She has written widely about visual art (mainly film and photography) and has judged photography competitions. Her texts have been published in “Kin””, „Arteon”, „Art and Business”, „Exit”, „Format”, „Magazyn Sztuki”, „Odra”, „Obieg”, „Gazeta Wyborcza”, „Kalejdoskop”, „Fair” – Zeitung für Kunst und Ästhetik and in exhibition catalogues. She is the author of two books,“PRzestrzenie fotografii” (“Spaces of photography”) and “Awangarda jest naszą tradycją” (“The avant-garde is our tradition”). She also edited the book “W kręgu neoawangardy – Warsztat Formy Filmowej” (“Neoavantgarde – Film Form Workshop”). She has curated multimedia exhibitions at the Museum of Cinematography in Łódź (curator there since 1998) including “Film Form Workshop” – a retrospective exhibition featuring the works of the group; Mariusz Hermanowicz “Photography 1968-2002”; “Separation” (featuring Natalia LL, Joanna Zastróżna, Konrad Kuzyszyn, Piotr Rosiński); “Consuming fiction” – multimedia exhibition (featuring Jerzy Kosałka, Dariusz Fodczuk, Julia Kurek, Małgorzata Rozenau, Bartek Jarmoliński, Artur Trojanowski); “Experiencing the city” (featuring Pablo Jacob, Artur Przebindowski, Iza Maciejewska, Marek Domański, Józef Szymura); Ron Kedmi „Cover Uncover” – video and photography exhibition by an Israeli artist. In 2017 she curated the Polish film programme “The Polish Avant-Garde) in Sligo, Ireland. She has also organised screenings of experimental films by the American artist Robert Arnold. She has been co-organising the “Man in Danger” Media Festival, an annual review of documentary films, since 1998.
book presentation: In the Neo-avant-garde Circle – the Workshop of the Film Form (W kręgu neoawangardy – Warsztat Formy Filmowej)
A book published by the Museum of Cinematography in Łódź and edited by Alicja Cichowicz and Marzena Bomanowska, “In the Neo-avant-garde Circle – the Workshop of the Film Form (“W kręgu neoawangardy – Warsztat Formy Filmowej”) is a bilingual (Polish and English) publication devoted to the work of neo-avant-garde artistic group that operated in the years 1970-1977 in Łódź as a study circle by the School of Film. This formation had a significant impact on Polish art of the 70’s and further decades of the 20th century. It pioneered in the context of conceptual artistic practices and analytical art. It was known from using characteristic for neo-avant-garde strategies of bringing down fossilised conventions and crossing traditional borders of all areas of visual work.
The publication is richly illustrated – a grand part of the illustrative material comes from the collections of Józef Robakowski’s Exchange Gallery. There are reproductions of works, shots from experimental films and videos, photographic works, objects and installations as well as documentation of activities, actions and performances. The publications is complimented with a DVD, which includes ten most important experimental films in the works of the formation.
The intention of the publisher was to make the book a teaching aid for students of humanities. The book was co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
