Curatorial descriptions:

In 1683, returning from the Battle of Vienna, the Polish king Jan III Sobieski gifted his queen, Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d’Arquien (nicknamed “Marysieńka”), with a bag of potatoes. He brought the tubers with the thought of arranging flowerbeds at the royal residence in Wilanów. But in its career, via the royal gardens, the potato spread to immeasurable fields. In the course of history, it went from a decorative plant to a dietary staple, enabling a rapid jump in the European population.

Allusions to common plants, such as potatoes, onions or beets, are a frequent motif in the works of Alicja Biała. This is also the case with the sculpture “Totem from Potatoes (I)”. Sixteen spuds cast from brass become the basis for creating an ironic monument to the potato, which in the artist’s interpretation does not grow in the earth but rises toward the sun. The work is a clear reference to the iconic sculpture “Endless Column” by Constantin Brâncuşi.

Szymon Żydek (Museum of Contemporary Art Warsaw)

The potato, despite its popularity in Polish cuisine, is considered a primitive vegetable. It symbolizes, at most, the satisfaction of elementary needs. No wonder, then, that its introduction to haute art is met with disapproval. This was the case when Julia Wójcik peeled potatoes at the Zachęta Gallery. Here, the artist has ennobled the humble potatoes, casting them in bronze and arranging them with great sensitivity into a column in the style of Constantin Brâncuși.

(Museum of Contemporary Art in Kraków MOCAK)