the moment you wake up
and your fingers have not yet
light touching the skin of your eyes

w chwili, gdy się budzisz
a twoje palce jeszcze nie
dotknęły lekko skóry powiek

David Bergé in Asklepieia: Architectures of Healing 400 BC to 200, kyklàda.press, 2021 

Exhibition opening: 14 April 2025, 6pm CET
The exhibition will be on view until 13 July 2025
Curator: Paulina Olszewska

In ancient Greece temples called “Asclepieia” were erected in honor of the god Asclepius and were places of healing, much like today’s spas and sanatoria. People made pilgrimages to these temples – one of the key treatments was healing through sleep and dreams, designed to heal both bodies and souls.

The Asclepieia exhibition has been created in answer to contemporary realities of life in a world filled with hurry, excessive stimuli and constant tension. It is based on ancient Greek traditions of temples which were places of regeneration and rest, fit for human beings to become calm and contemplative. The show will feature selected works from the Galeria Studio Collection – both historical works by Stefan Gierowski, Koji Kamoji and Kajetan Sosnowski, as well as the latest acquisitions from Alicja Bielawska, Jarosław Kozłowski and Jolanta Marcolla. The nature of the selected works encourages audiences to pause, focus on details or simply delight in experiencing fine art. The show will be enhanced by interventions from contemporary artists – Dobrawa Borkała, Damjanski, Valentina Karga and Antonina Nowacka who use themes of rest, peace and breathing in their art.

A key element of the exhibition is the space designed by architects and researchers connected to Gdansk – Agata Ruchlewicz-Dzianach & Anna Wojkowska-Lipska. The way the show is arranged and the architectural solutions implemented will ensure audiences have sensory experiences conducive to peaceful, relaxing contact with the arts.

The collection, arrangements and contemporary arts interventions combine to create a coherent whole – a safe space which is an invitation to relax and stay within it as long as any one likes.

Works from the Galeria Studio Collection: Alicja Bielawska, Tadeusz Dominik, Halina Eysymont, Stefan Gierowski, Francoise Gilot, Jerzy Grabowski, Dorota Grynczel, Aleksandra Jachtoma, Koji Kamoji, Jarosław Kozłowski, Janina Kraupe, Andrzej Lachowicz, Jarosław Lustych, Arika Madeyska, Jolanta Marcolla, Julian Raczko, Łukasz Skąpski, Kajetan Sosnowski, Antoni Starczewski, Maciej Stankowski.

Artists: Dobrawa Borkała, Damjanski, Valentina Karga, Antonina Nowacka

Curator: Paulina Olszewska
Exhibition design: Agata Ruchlewicz-Dzianach i Anna Wejkowska-Lipska
Production: Monika Balińska
Conservation: Martyna Wilkowska
Graphic design: Kuki Iwański
PR: Marta Sputowska, Majka Duczyńska, Maria Prokesz

Lectures: Danuta Milewska, Katarzyna Roj, Agata Ruchlewicz-Dzianach i Anna Wejkowska-Lipska

Exhibition partners: BWA Wrocław Galerie Sztuki Współczesnej / BWA Wrocław Galleries of Contemporary Art, Galeria Miejska bwa w Bydgoszczy / The Municipal Gallery bwa in Bydgoszcz