ɑ̃ Fas
Portraits From the Collection

The term en face /ɑ̃ fas/ in art means a way of showing a person on an artwork in front of the viewer. Most often, this method is used in portraits – artistic images of people. In the past, portraits were usually painted on request in order to decorate the house, testify to the culture and wealth of their owner and the person portrayed. Over the years, this form inspired artists who created their works by experimenting not only with the subject matter itself, but also with the artistic technique. Currently, the portrait fulfills many functions, which can be seen in the works presented at the exhibition.

“ɑ̃ Fas” shows different views on portraits in the collection of Galeria Labirynt. From a classic representation through a self-portrait, caricature, photographic portrait, video, to an unusual portrait in a written form. In selected works one can find various human images – women, men, people with disabilities, the elderly, children, but also non-human representations, such as a humanoid robot.

The exhibition focuses on the portrait and its form, technique and the diversity of the artistic approach to this subject. We also use a humorous approach to the en face expression taken from the French language, which, like other foreign-language terms used in art, often makes it difficult to perceive the presented works, making the audience embarrassed. We want to play with portraits and we also invite all viewers to do so.

We invite you to discover the exhibition on your own with the help of a guidebook (Polish language only). Prepared questions will help to draw attention to the most important elements of the works and discover their stories. The answers to the questions are next to each of the works at the exhibition.

Artists: Włodzimierz Borowski, He Chengyao, Oskar Dawicki, Irena Nawrot, Jadwiga Przybylak, Karol Radziszewski, Joanna Rajkowska, Józef Robakowski, Mariusz Tarkawian, Ryszard Woźniak, Krzysztof Zarębski

Curatorial team: Krystian Kamiński, Agata Sztorc-Gromaszek

Realisation: Monika Rejman

Collaboration: Emilia Lipa, Karol Jakóbczyk, Jarosław Mitura, Jolanta Męderowicz

Branding: Krystian Kamiński