“Hommage a Maria Jarema — Krakow for Jaremianka” – unveiling of the sculpture

Bunkier Sztuki Gallery has become the beneficiary of the programme Sculpture in the public space for Niepodległa – 2022 conducted by the Centre of Polish Sculpture in Orońsko. The project is co-financed by the state, while the institution received its own contribution from its organiser: the Krakow Municipality. It is the first subsidy programme in Poland intended for investments in the field realisation of sculptural forms in the public space.

As part of the project Krzysztof M. Bednarski created the composition Hommage à Maria Jarema – Krakow for Jaremianka dedicated to Maria Jarema, one of the most prominent Polish artists of the 20th century. The form proposed by the artist is inspired by Jaremianka’s graphic art as well as her painting and is an allusion to her last work titled Figure.

The statue is a manifestation of a consciously constructed historical policy in which the choice of the honoured figure is determined both by his/her oeuvre and biography. Maria Jarema’s biography is closely connected with the history of our city, including the experience of living in occupied Krakow, whose reminiscences can be found in her art.

Maria Jarema (1908–1958) was one of the most colourful characters of the interwar period and the leading personality of Krakow’s post-war art scene. She displayed her works in foreign galleries, which culminated in her participation in the Venice Biennale and the Francesco Nullo Prize she won there.
The sculptress described as an “abstract revolution” artist, a leader and an inspirer united several generations of Krakow’s art bohemia. Erecting a monument to her in front of the Gallery of Contemporary Art is consistent with the mission of the institution, which for decades has served the purpose of presenting the most interesting artists and the most important phenomena of Krakow’s art scene.