MARTA ZGIERSKA

Marta Zgierska, Untitled from the Post series, 2014, Dibond photograph, 130 x 92,9 cm

Text by Kamila Dworniczak, Afterbeauty, “Arteon”, Poznan, Poland, June 2019 (EN)
Text by Aleksandra Skrabek MARTA ZGIERSKA’S BLUSH, “Aspiracje”, Warsaw, Poland, July 2019 (EN)

2024, Marta Zgierska, Tomorrow crumbles in hands, GOWEN, Geneva
2019, Marta Zgierska, Blush, Gowen Contemporary, Geneva
2019, Marta Zgierska, Blush, Biala Gallery, Centrum Kultury W, Lublin, Poland
2018, Marta Zgierska, Post, Fort Institute of Photography, Warsaw, Poland
2017 Exhibition: Marta Zgierska, Finnish Museum of Photography
2016-2017 Travelling exhibition: Prix HSBC pour la Photographie. Christian Vium and Marta Zgierska. Lauréats 2016, at Gowen Contemporary, Geneva, 2016

In her work, Marta uses her own body as an instrument to interpret a complex array of references.

In 2013, she survived a serious car accident and went through months of intense treatment (surgery, rehabilitation, depression, …). The traumatic experience, completely redefined her photographic work and gave birth to her critically acclaimed series ‘Post’. The title not only refers to the common meaning ‘after’ but also to the Polish word meaning ‘stop from fasting’, especially used in the religious context. In this series, the artist symbolically puts away fears and concerns by freezing them in a form of diagram, producing fragile images that are hanging by a thread. Each photograph depicts a part of her history metaphorically evoked by a clinic aesthetic. Marta’s frozen images, almost silent, reduced to the essential, visual articulation of a minimum survival language, became her signature.

In her series of photographs entitled ‘Afterbeauty’, the self portrait moves away from the direct exposure of her body. Spatial forms are constructed with used facial beauty masks obtained after the artist has forced herself to perform the ritual of placing the mask on her face repeatedly until it becomes harmful on her skin. In this way Marta transforms her image into pure form deprived of mimetic content and gender. The process results in abstract sculptures subsequently decontextualized in photographs. She says: ‘the material used is virtually separated from is primary context - the female face - and yet it remains a kind of self-portrait’. From a sociological perspective, using allusions to the language of the cosmetics industry, the artist questions the nature of beauty and tackles the issues of gender and social pressure and expectations towards the feminine image.

MARTA ZGIERSKA

Biography

Born in 1987 in Lublin, Poland

Education
PhD candidate - Fine Arts / Intermedia (Marie Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland)
MFA in Photography (The Leon Schiller National Film, Television and Theatre School, Lodz, Poland)
MA in Theatrology and MA in Journalism (Marie Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland)

Solo exhibitions
2024 - Tomorrow crumbles in hands, GOWEN, Geneva, Switzerland
2024 - Lico, Muncipal Gallery BWA, Bydgoszcz, Poland
2024 - Muncipal Galerry BWA, Bydgoszcz, Poland
2023 - From all angles, Project Room Zacheta National Museum, Warsaw, Poland
2023 - Short Circuit, FaVu Gallery, Brno, Czech Republic
2023 - Crust, Studio UHAUS, Ostrava, Czech Republic
2021 - Edema, BWA Krosno, Poland
2021 - Internal Landscapes, Krakowskie Przedmiescie 6, Lublin, Poland
2020 - Blush, Galerie Sintitulo, Mougins France
2019 - Blush, Gowen Contemporary, Geneva, Switzerland
2019 - Marta Zgierska (Artist of the year), Donggang Museum of Photography, South Korea
2019 - Afterbeauty & Votive Figure, Galerie Intervalle, Paris, France
2019 - Blush, Biala Gallery, Centrum Kultury W, Lublin, Poland
2018 - Post, curator: Adam Mazur, Fort Institute of Photography, Varsaw, PL
2017 - Post, Galerie Intervalle, Paris, France
2017 - Post, Filter Space Gallery, Chicago, United States
2017 - Post, Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, Finland
2017 - Post, Reminders Photography Stronghold Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

Two Men Shows
2016 - Post, Prix HSBC pour la Photographie, Galerie Esther Woerdehoff, Paris, France
2016 - Post, Prix HSBC pour la Photographie, Gowen Contemporary, Geneva, Switzerland
2016 - Post, Prix HSBC pour la Photographie, Musee de la Photographie Andre Villers, Mougins, France
2016 - Post, Prix HSBC pour la Photographie, L’Arsenal, Metz, France
2016 - Post, Prix HSBC pour la Photographie, Arret sur l’Image Galerie, Bordeaux, France
2016 - Post, Prix HSBC pour la Photographie, Galerie Sintitulo, Mougins, France

Selected group exhibitions
2024 - (Upcoming) Fotofestival Lenzburg, Lenzburg, Switzerland
2024 - (Upcoming) Sunspots, Centre for Creative Activities, Ustka, Poland
2023 - Prix Bob Calle 2023 du livre d’artiste, The Centre Pompidou, Paris, France?
2023 - Cafe_Full, with Dimitris Mertzos, Julie-Michèle Morin?, Jul Schadauer, Letta Shtohryn, Postcity, Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria
2023 - The Ongoing Power of Photography, curator Michel Frizot, Daegu Biennale Photo, Daegu, South Korea
2023 - Photoforum, Kunsthaus Pasquart, The Biel/Bienne Festival of Photography, Switzerland
2023- EXP(L)O, curator: Robert Kusmirowski, the Leon Wyczólkowski District Museum, The eye never sleeps Festival, Bydgoszcz, Poland
2022 - Verwachsungen, Polish Institute Gallery, Düsseldorf, Germany
2022 - L’Œil qui voyage, Galerie Intervalle, Paris, France
2022 - We with you!, Labirynt Gallery, Lublin, Poland
2022 - Personal Portrait, Pop-Up Ogrodowa Gallery, Lodz, Poland
2021 - photo basel, with Gowen Contemporary, Basel, CH
2021- International Women in Photo, IWPA, Fondation WRP, Genva, Switzerland
2021 - Garden, Les Photographiques Festival, Le Mans, France
2021 - Garden, Odesa Photo Days Festival, Ukraine
2021 - Internal Landscapes, Personal Portrait, Wszyscy Jestesmy Fotografami, Promotional Gallery, Warsaw, Poland
2020 - Paris Photo / Galerie Intervalle, Paris, France
2020 - Afterbeauty, Photo Basel Berlin Art Fair / Gowen Contemporary, Berlin, Germany
2020 - Art Paris Art Fair / Gowen Contemporary, Paris, France (virtual edition)
2020 - Photo Basel / Gowen Contemporary, Basel, Switzerland (virtual edition)
2020 - Votive Figure, Athens Photo Festival, Benaki Museum, Greece
2020 - Votive Figure, Photo Israel, Tel-Aviv, Israel
2020 - Garden, I Do Not Share with Anyone, curator: Adam Mazur, Krakow Photomonth, Poland (virtual edition)
2019 - Rituals I. International Group Exhibition, Fotogalerie Wien, Austria
2019 - DongGang International Photography Festival, Donggang Museum of Photography, South Korea
2019 - Takeover, Arnis Balcus, Sasha Kurmaz, Diana Lelonek, Marta Zgierska, PGS - Panstwowa Galeria Sztuki, National Art Gallery in Sopot, Poland
2019 - Votive Figure, Polyptyque, Marseille, with Galerie Intervalle, Paris, France
2019 - Marta Zgierska, Afterbeauty, artgenève Art Fair, with Gowen Contemporary, Geneva, Switzerland
2018 - Identity Issues, Garden, Riga Photography Biennial, Latvia
2017 - Angst, Museum Dr. Guislain, Gent, Belgium
2017 - 5 x 2 = 10, Gowen Contemporary, Geneva, Switzerland
2017 - Post, Unseen Photo Fair Amsterdam, with Galerie Intervalle, Paris, Netherlands
2017 - Drift, Beirut Art Fair / Gowen Contemporary Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2017 - Post, Backlight Photo Festival, Tampere, Finland
2017 - Drift Series, Beirut Art Fair 2017, Booth B11, with Gowen Contemporary, Geneva
2017 - Post, Backlight Photo Festival, Tampere, Finland
2017 - heART Geneva, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, Geneva,
2016 - Celeste Visible White Photo Prize, Fondazione Studio Marangoni Gallery, Florence, Italy
2016 - Post, Prix HSBC pour la Photographie, PAD Paris, France
2016 - Post, Prix HSBC pour la Photographie, Parcours Saint-Germain, Paris, France
2016 - Salon of New Photography, Raster Gallery, Warsaw, Poland
2015 - LensCulture Emerging Talents, SF Camerawork, San Francisco, USA
2015 - Post, Poznan Photo Diploma Award, Maison de la Photographie, Lille, France
2015 - Post, Poznan Photo Diploma Award, Biennale of Photography in Poznan, Poland

Performances
2024 - (upcoming) Tychy Performance Festival, Poland
2022 - Ablution I, Mariya Hoyin, Diary during the war, Labirynt Gallery, Lublin, Poland (performance)
2022 - Gas Pepper, Malamut Performance Meeting, GAFU Gallery, Ostrava, Czech Republic (videoperformance)

Awards
2023 - Prix Bob Calle du livre d’artiste, Paris, France (special award)
2023 - Polish Photographic Publication of the Year (honorable mention)
2021 - Foam Paul Huf Award, Amsterdam, Netherlands (nominated)
2021 - Intersection PHmuseum Exhibition Prize (shortlisted)
2020 - PHmuseum Women Photographers Grant (special prize)
2020 - International Women In Photo Association Award, Paris, France (finalist)
2019 - Artist of the Year, DongGang International Photo Festival in South Korea (winner)
2019 - DZ BANK Art Collection Fellowship (nominated)
2019 - Bourse du Talent, Bibliotheque nationale de France, Paris, France (finalist)
2019 - Hariban Award, Kyoto, Japan (shortlisted)
2018 - Foam Paul Huf Award (nominated)
2018 - Lucie Foundation Emerging Artist Scholarship, Los Angeles, USA (shortlisted)
2018 - International Festival of Photography PhotoVisa, The Silence Award, Krasnodar, Russia (finalist)
2017 - Photo book winner of the PDN Photo Contest 2017, USA
2016 - Prix HSBC pour la Photographie, Paris, France (winner)
2016 - Daylight Photo Awards, USA (winner)
2016 - ING Unseen Talent Award, Amsterdam, Netherlands (nominated)
2016 - FotoLeggendo Giovanni Tabo Prize, Rome, Italy (winner)
2016 - Kolga Tbilisi Photo Award, Best Conceptual Photo Project, Georgia (winner)
2016 - International Photography Award Emergentes dst, Encontros da Imagem International Photography Festival, Braga, Portugal (finalist)
2016 - Encontros da Imagem International Photography Festival, Discovery Award Under 30, Braga, Portugal (finalist)
2016 - Best Photography Book from Central and Eastern Europe 2015 - 2016, European Month of Photography, Bratislava, Slovakia (honorable mention)
2016 - Celeste Visible White Photo Prize, Florence, Italy (finalist)
2016 - Latent, Rome, Italy (shortlisted)
2016 - Nera di Verzasca Award, Verzasca Foto Festival, Sonogno, Switzerland (finalist)
2016 - Photonic Moments Month of Photography, Evening Projections, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2016 - Young Talents of Image: Storytelling, FP Magazine, Milan, Italy (honorable mention)
2015 - LensCulture Emerging Talent Awards, Amsterdam, Netherlands (winner)
2015 - Lucie Foundation Emerging Artist Scholarship, Los Angeles, USA (shortlisted)
2015 - Vevey International Photo Award, Switzerland (shortlisted)
2015 - Guernsey Photography Festival International Competition (shortlisted)
2015 - Poznan Photo Diploma Award, Poland (finalist)
2015 - Przetwornia Project, expert: Rafal Milach, Cracow, Poland (finalist)
2012 - International Photography Awards, Los Angeles, USA (honorable mentions x3)
2012 - TIFF Festival, Debuts Section, Wroclaw, Poland (winner)
2012 - MFFM Festival, Jaroslaw, Poland (winner)
2010 - International Photography Awards, Los Angeles, USA (honorable mention)
2010 - Portait Empik Photo, Poland (special award)
2010 - Grand Press Photo, Warsaw, Poland (finalist)

Grants
2023 - Ars Electronica Founding Lab
2023 - Scholarship of the Ministry of Education and Science for Outstanding Young Scientists, Poland
2022 - NAWA Ster Fellowship for an International Scientific Internship, Poland
2022 - Santander Universidades grant
2022 - Grant in the field of culture of the Marshal of the Lublin Province
2021 - Grant of the National Center for Culture as part of the Young Poland program in the field of visual arts
2021 - Grant of the Mayor of the City of Lublin, Poland
2019 - CreArt Residency, Kaunas, Lithuania
2019 - Within the Frame of Sopot Residency, Sopot, Poland
2018 - Grant of the Mayor of the City of Lublin, Poland
2017 - Polish Culture Around the World, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Warsaw, Poland
2016 - Reminders Photography Stronghold Grant, Tokyo, Japan
2016 - Photography Grant, Fine Art Category (2nd place winner)
2015 - Polish Culture Around the World, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Warsaw, Poland

Residences
2024 - (Upcoming) Sculpture everywhere, The Centre of Polish Sculpture, Oronsko, Poland
2023 - Artistic Residency, Studio VVV, Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava, Slovakia
2022 - Artistic Residency in frame of NAWA Ster Fellowship, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic
2021 - Artistic Residency, BWA Krosno, Poland
2019 - CreArt Residency, Kaunas, Lithuania
2019 - Within the Frame of Sopot Residency, Sopot, Poland

Books
2023 - Internal Landscapes, self-published, Lublin, Poland
2021 - Garden, Blow Up Press, Warsaw, Poland
2019 - Marta Zgierska, Afterbeaty, Biala Gallery, Lublin, Poland
2016 - Post, Actes Sud, Arles, France
2012 - Private Property, Instytut Kultury Wizualnej, Warsaw, Poland (collective book)

Collections
HSBC Foundation, Paris, France
Private collections

Publications
Ofluxo, Contemporary Lynx, GUP Magazine, Unseen Magazine, LensCulture, The Eyes, L’Oeil de la Photographie, Fotoroom, Fotografia Magazine, Photoworks, Paper Journal, Fisheye Magazine, Gente di Fotografia, De l’air Magazine, Magazyn SZUM, Aspiracje, Arteon, Hunger Magazine, Life Framer, Jungle Magazine, Der Greif, Blow Magazine, Musee Magazine, dienacht, Aint-Bad Magazine, iGNANT, Vostok, This Orient, Thisispaper, Sajinyesul, SMBHmag, F-Stop Magazine, Unless you will, Wysokie Obcasy, NN6T

Texts and Interviews (Selection)
- Text by Jim Jonescrusher, La Figure Votive De Marta Zgierska, L’Autre Quotidien, 2021 (FR)
- Interview in Contemporary Lynx, Interview by Patrycja G?usiec, In conversation with the photographer Marta Zgierska - There’s a value in contemplation and the quiet that recently seems to have been forgotten, May 11, 2020
- Review by Carine Bovey, Post tenebras vanitas, “Le Chat Perché”, Geneva, Switzerland, October 2019 (FR)
- Interview by Amaury Antoine, The Sacrifices we make for beauty, with Marta Zgierska, The Life Framer, UK, September 2019 (EN)
- Review by Bruno Dubreuil, Marta Zgierska, la photographie comme masque du réel, Viens Voir, Paris, May 2019, (FR) (EN)
- Interview by Alice Lerace, Colour pop, hot wax and beauty standards according to Marta Zgierska, “Hunger Magazine”, London, UK, August 2019 (EN)
- Text by François Cheval, Votive Figure, Paris, France, December 2019 (FR)
- Interview by Guillaume du Mesgnil d’Engente, Regard sur le culte de la beauté avec la photographe Marta Zgierska. Une intention critique et esthétique, “Les Numériques”, Paris, May 2019 (FR)
- Text by Sophie Charlotte Hoffmann, Pure gray, the color of resignation and silence. A series by Marta Zgierska, “THIS ORIENT”, Munich, Germany, November 2017 (EN)
- Interview by Joanna L. Cresswell, Marta Zgierska, “Unseen Magazine”, Amsterdam, Netherlands, September 2017 (EN)
- Text by Andrew Nunes, A near-death experience inspires a haunting photo series, “VICE”, New York, USA, May 2017 (EN)
- Text by Diane Dufour, Photographie Sans Titre issue de la série Post de Marta Zgierska, “L’Oeil de la Photographie”, Paris, France, May 2016 (FR) (EN)
- Text by Erik Vroons, Steamy Windows and Distorted Rearviews, How Photographic Images Can Function in Artist Books, “GUP Magazine”, Amsterdam, Netherlands, February 2017 (EN)
- Interview by Joanna L. Cresswell, Marta Zgierska, “Unseen Magazine”, Amsterdam, Netherlands, September 2017 (EN)
- Interview by Marie Moglia, Post ou comment Marta Zgierska raconte sa douleur en images, “Fisheye Magazine”, Paris, France, December 2016 (FR)
- Text by Emma Bourne, Grey… It’s a very sad colour. It’s the colour of resigning. Of silence, “Jungle Magazine”, London, UK, November 2016 (EN)
- Interview by Anne Rosenberg, Framing Fears: An Interview With Marta Zgierska, “GUP Magazine”, Amsterdam, Netherlands, May 2016 (EN)
- Interview by Monika Szewczyk-Wittek, Marta Zgierska – projekt bardzo osobisty, “Fotopolis”, Warsaw, Poland, April 2016 (PL)