Fantastic realism and the realization of fantasies

I recently participated in a joint painting project, "Magiczna Legnica," at the Knights' Academy in Legnica, along with Jarek Jaśnikowski, Edek Szutter, and Jacek Szykarczuk. During the press conference held at the end of the event, one of the journalists suggested in a question to me that fantasy realism was currently "all the rage." I tried to deny it, saying that fantasy art had always accompanied mainstream art, but as a niche phenomenon, never a primary focus; it expressed the dreams, longings, and fears of its era, difficult to capture in a realistic medium, but it never took center stage. As I said this, I realized I wasn't entirely right. MAGICAL OR FANTASTIC? In the last few years, there has indeed been a remarkable surge in interest in so-called magical realism. (I used the term "so-called" because of the extraordinary terminological confusion in this area; terms such as fantastic and magical realism, new surrealism or neosurrealism, fantasy painting, and steampunk are used interchangeably or concurrently; I personally prefer the terms "visionary art" and "metaphorical realism"). This interest is expressed both by creators—a large number of young painters link their artistic paths with imaginative painting—and by audiences—magical realism exhibitions attract record numbers of visitors. This is accompanied by a proliferation of websites devoted to new surrealism, which record a dizzying number of visits and likes. Apparently, the atmosphere of our era, its fears, frustrations, and obsessions, foster a mass escape from reality and encourage a flight toward alternative worlds. This phenomenon should be placed against the backdrop of the strongly noticeable return to figuration that we have been witnessing recently. At the 2017 Paris Salon, abstract art seemed recessive and derivative, while over half of the paintings exhibited fell into the realm of representational painting, with a clear representation of fantastic realism. I believe that this tendency is largely influenced by the unwavering stance of these artists, who, despite the destructive tendencies of our era, base their work on classical models and pass on their experience to younger generations. In the 1980s, Odd Nerdrum founded a private painting school, whose graduates are now prominent in galleries worldwide. Many outstanding "visionaries" were nurtured by the co-founder of the Viennese School of Fantastic Realism, Professor Ernst Fuchs, who passed away last year. Figurative painters in the United States gather around the Art Renewal Center, a creative association whose contribution to the revival of the art form is invaluable. In Italy, at the Florence Academy of Art, master classes are taught by professors who (unlike most teachers employed at art schools) are also accomplished artists, able to impart to their students the secrets of technique and, above all, an honest creative approach. The comprehensive curriculum encompasses not only anatomy, nude drawing, and painting techniques, but also philosophy. FANTASTIC EUROPE Magical realism has developed active promoters and patrons. Since 2005, Danish painter Claus Brusen has organized international surveys of contemporary surrealism under the banner "Fantasmus," bringing together works by the most interesting representatives of this movement from around the world. A frequent guest at these exhibitions is His Royal Highness, Prince Henrik of Denmark, who has paintings representing magical realism in his collection. These thematic exhibitions; The first one referenced the works of Hans Christian Andersen, while the next (2009) was titled "Dante – The Divine Comedy" and brought together approximately 200 works by 50 artists from around the world. It was opened by Fish, the lead singer of Marillion and a collector of fantasy art. (Incidentally, many rock stars are fans of this art, including Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips, former members of Genesis.) In 2011, another exhibition titled "Freakshow" took place at the Hillerod Library in Copenhagen. Since 2008, Claus Brusen has been publishing the "Imaginaire" series of luxury albums, presenting the works of living masters of magical realism. The German painter and sculptor Angerer der Ältere, together with the distinguished Salvador Dalí scholar Roger Erasmy, co-founded the artistic group Inhabitants of Dalí, which regularly organized reviews of European fantastic realism at the Auvergne resort of Le Mont Dore and shows at the Grand Palais in Paris. In northern Germany, a group of creators and enthusiasts of magical realism known as Callas-Bremen is extremely active, organizing important reviews of visionary art at its headquarters in Bremen. The first initiative of its kind in Poland was the exhibition New Old Masters, presented at the Abbots' Palace in Gdańsk Oliwa over 10 years ago. Its initiator and curator was the eminent American art critic, Professor Donald Kuspit, and its organizer, and one of the 33 participants, was the painter Krzysztof Izdebski-Cruz. The exhibition brought together the world's leading figures in figurative painting, representatives of new realism, photorealism, and hyperrealism, as well as artists practicing fantastic realism. The feedback from the audience was clear – the exhibition attracted tens of thousands of viewers from across Poland. It also proved that figurative art was still alive and well, garnering numerous positive reviews, while also mobilizing acolytes of the avant-garde, or "very cultured mafia" (to use Monika Małkowska's term), to furiously attack the organizers and artists participating in the exhibition. FANTASTIC POLAND In recent years, a new phenomenon has emerged in our country, one that could be called the Polish School of Fantastic Realism. Although official critics have yet to acknowledge this emerging phenomenon, the number of exhibitions and events documenting it is impressive. I had the pleasure of participating in most of them, and observing this movement from the inside, I can't help but feel that initiatives promoting magical realism are multiplying in a way that—nomen omen—is magical. Incidentally, I must add that such a proliferation of fantasy themes in painting carries certain risks: every fad carries the risk of shallowness, trivialization, borrowing, and repetition, while the mass scale of the phenomenon can adversely affect its quality. Therefore, young artists who take up the challenge of fantastic realism are faced with the requirement to constantly search for new motifs and push the boundaries—but all of this is, by definition, inherent in the role of a visionary artist. Since 2011, a renowned biennial of fantastic realism called "Magical Dreams" has been held in Poland and abroad. It is organized by the Bator Art Gallery in Szczyrk. Subsequent exhibitions have attracted, in addition to Polish artists, such world-renowned masters of the brush as Angerer der Ältere, Bruno Almayer, Jean-Noël Riou, Peter Gric, Otto Rapp, Leo Plaw, Jolanda Richter, Fabrizio Riccardi, and Micha Lobi—a collection of names sure to impress anyone interested in contemporary visionary painting. The exhibitions always open in Szczyrk, where lavish openings last (in the haze of local lemon vodka) until dawn, their atmosphere enhanced by Kasia Bator's piano recitals, performances by highland bands, and the good humor of the invited artists and guests. With subsequent exhibitions held in venues such as Warsaw's Praga Południe Cultural Center, the Municipal Gallery in Wrocław, the B Brewery in Włocławek, the Gallery of Contemporary Art in Kołobrzeg, the Municipal Gallery in Almese and Turin (Italy), the Municipal Gallery in Viechty, and the Hopfenmuseum in Wolnzach (Germany), fantastic realism is receiving a fantastic boost.

IN BEKSIŃSKI'S SHADOW The works of Zdzisław Beksiński, a pioneer of the Polish School of Fantastic Realism, were previously available to the public in large numbers only at the Historical Museum in the artist's hometown of Sanok. However, recently, the Nowa Huta Cultural Center in Krakow (which is much easier for Polish and international viewers to access than Sanok) has also opened the door to viewing the master's works, which come from the collection of his art dealer, Piotr Dmochowski. These paintings represent the best, romantic period of Beksiński's career. The circumstances surrounding Mr. Dmochowski's transfer of this collection to the state gallery are telling. Initially, the art dealer offered this exquisite set of paintings to the capital city of Warsaw, completely free of charge, on the condition that City Hall create a gallery where the paintings would be available to the public. The response he received from City Hall, which may have caused "shock and disbelief," was a negative one: the city refused to accept the collection, citing a lack of suitable premises. I don't know who at the Warsaw Cultural Office voluntarily rejected the proposal to create a gallery in Warsaw that would attract art lovers from around the world to the capital, but that official certainly deserved to be dismissed. Piotr Dmochowski's proposal, however, was met with a positive response from the Nowa Huta Cultural Center in Krakow; first, it organized an exhibition that drew lines several hundred meters long, and now it has created a permanent exhibition that is a true magnet for lovers of fantasy art.On his blog, Piotr Dmochowski aptly recognizes Zdzisław Beksiński's role as an inspiration for subsequent generations of artists when he writes: "The large number of Polish artists associated with surrealism in painting in one way or another proves that the artistic phenomenon of 'Polish surrealism' truly exists and has a huge audience. Some of these artists have found their place in pop art and contribute to the promotion of Polish trends in global mass culture. The works of Polish surrealists, created using advanced artistic techniques, represent a miracle of the human spirit, capable of visualizing hidden and dynamic entities within the essence of the world."

It is worth recalling here that imagination and spirituality have long been hallmarks of Polish art. Artur Grottger, Witold Pruszkowski, Jacek Malczewski, Witold Wojtkiewicz, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, and Bronisław Wojciech Linke belong to the lineage of a romantic, yet distinctly Polish, visionary movement that, after World War II, produced, alongside Zdzisław Beksiński, an entire generation of "founding fathers" of Polish fantastic realism. Among them are Jerzy Krawczyk, Henryk Waniek, Andrzej Urbanowicz, Piotr Marek, Henryk Ziembicki-Fantazos, Marek Naszczak, and last but not least, my father, Andrzej Kołpanowicz.

A significant event for the Polish School of Fantastic Realism is the cyclical exhibition "Visionaries of Polish Painting" held at the Quantum Gallery in Warsaw. Each year, alongside works by Zdzisław Beksiński, visitors can admire the current achievements of living representatives of magical realism. Lovers of alternative worlds regularly attend openings that last until late at night, where they can meet the creators of these worlds in person and, as the exhibition's subtitle suggests, journey "beyond the horizon." The fact that the gallery is located in the building of the Association of Polish Visual Artists is significant – it underscores the strong presence of visionary art on the artistic map of Poland.

A FANTASY REALIZED The first Museum of Magical Realism in Poland and the largest in Europe is scheduled to open in Wisła in May of this year. It could be said that it is the fantasy of a Silesian collector of fantastic realism realized. In the restored and repurposed "Ochorowiczówka" villa, he will present to visitors a collection of over 300 paintings and sculptures by Poland's most interesting "visionaries." The museum itself is extraordinary, because its builder, Julian Ochorowicz (1850–1917), was also extraordinary. He was the father of Polish positivism, a distinguished scientist, inventor of the telephone (before Alexander Graham Bell), pioneer of television, pioneer of clinical psychology, and spiritualist. Ochorowicz's villa in Wisła was visited by invited guests from the most distinguished creators of Polish literature, including Władysław Stanisław Reymont, who wrote the first volume of "Chłopi" (Peasants) there, and Ochorowicz's close friend from middle school, Bolesław Prus, who immortalized his host in "The Doll" as the scientist-fantasist Julian Ochocki. The museum's permanent exhibition will include over 300 paintings and sculptures. Temporary exhibitions are also planned, showcasing the latest achievements of contemporary Polish painters, characterized by unfettered imagination.

What do the projects described above have in common? The vast majority of them – with the exception of Zdzisław Beksiński's gallery in Nowa Huta – are private in nature and are the fruit of the passion, determination, and personal commitment of their originators. Artists practicing fantastic realism operate as freelancers, without any state or institutional support (as favored by installation and performance artists in contemporary art centers), and create the material fabric of Polish culture. While fantasy art collectors, art dealers, and gallery owners, disregarding government support or EU grants, and sometimes despite opposition from their authorities (as in the case of Dmochowski), invest their own labor, time, and money in art promotion, catalog printing, exhibition organization, and museum construction.