The “m for mBank’s art collection” (“m jak malarstwo”) collection, comprising paintings by young Polish artists, is growing. Last year alone, mBank purchased 44 new works. Some of them can be viewed in the Rondo Sztuki Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Katowice. It is mBank’s second exhibition of paintings from its collection.
 
The “Bad Romance” exhibition comprising paintings from mBank’s collection has been on display in the Rondo Sztuki Gallery since 18 February. It is a truly unique presentation of works by young Polish painters, both in terms of the works themselves and the form in which they are presented. The exhibition’s arrangement and its intriguing title are inspired by the contrast between the paintings and the glittery setting bordering on kitsch. Among the showcased artists are Natalia Załuska, Monika Falkus, Urszula Madera, Alicja Pakosz and Krzysztof Gil. The curators of the exhibition are Marta Antoniak and Tomek Baran.
 
For several years already, we have been assembling a collection of works by Polish painters under the watchful eye of a committee consisting of experts in the field of contemporary art. This way, we have created one of very few corporate art collections in Poland, which is already widely acclaimed.

In 2022, we purchased a further 44 paintings by 31 young artists, extending our collection to 98 diverse works. Although “m for mBank’s art collection” project focuses on paintings, the works in our collection transgress the genre’s classic definition. Young contemporary art can often be surprising and unconventional. So too is our exhibition. According to Cezary Stypułkowski, mBank’s CEO and the initiator of the project, the exhibition makes you pause and reflect.

The procurement committee chaired, from the very beginning, by Piotr Sarzyński (an art market expert and critic) strives to strike a balance between two groups of young artists. On the one hand, it selects works by acclaimed artists represented by prestigious galleries, who have interesting solo and collaborative exhibitions under their belt. On the other hand, it cooperates with artists who are only just entering the world of art. Oftentimes, they are fresh graduates who have not been discovered by professional private galleries yet, but already display extraordinary talent.

Last year, we kept tabs on young painters, held discussions, toured Poland, and visited exhibitions and painters’ studios on the search for real gems. When creating our collection, we view painting in the broader context of art; we recognise the value of non-conventional works and include them in our collection too. Piotr Sarzyński, chairperson of the procurement commission says: we crossed the traditional boundaries of the genre several times in the past year.

One example of a work that certainly pushes the boundaries of painting is “Tomiszcza” by Alicja Kubicka, an installation consisting of unfinished paintings cut into pieces. Works by Filip Rybkowski, Marcin Janusz and Szymon Szewczyk are also intriguing experiments. Similarly, Vadim Koros creates his paintings “in cooperation” with a computer and a specialist programme which distorts the artist’s creative process. Szaweł Płóciennik’s art piece is a typical assemblage, whereas Zuzanna Śmigielska’s work is an interesting combination of traditional painting with elements of videoart. mBank’s collection also includes a unique painting rug by Stach Szumski, who also created a unique mural in the Rondo Sztuki Gallery, which is an improvised reflection of his artistic expression.
 

For more information about “m for mBank’s art collection” project, go to www.mjakmalarstwo.pl, where you can also see the artists’ works.

 
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This is not an offer. This material is intended for informational purposes only.