REPORT REPORT 2012/2013 I REPORT It gives me great satisfaction to present you with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute’s latest report. I hope it proves that our 13th season not only wasn’t an unlucky one, but in fact abounded in momentous events and substantial successes. Among the most important of these was the appointment of the Board of the Institute, whose illustrious members include Professor Jerzy Buzek (Chairman), Dr Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, Professor Jerzy Hausner, Professor Edmund Wnuk-Lipiński, Ambassador Jerzy Koźmiński and, ex officio, Undersecretary of State Monika Smoleń (Ministry of Culture and National Heritage) and Undersecretary of State Beata Stelmach (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The 2012/2013 season was important not only in terms of the international successes of Polish culture, to mention Polska Arts in Edinburgh or the multidimensional Lutosławski 100/100 project, of which international critics wrote that it successfully brought this great composer into the repertoires of the world’s best orchestras, soloists, conductors and concert halls. We have months of many musical and theatrical thrills behind us, also in Poland. In spring 2013 we welcomed the best Russian productions to Warsaw during the Da! Da! Da! festival – a review that became an unquestionable sensation, enthusiastically received by critics and audiences alike. In other countries, we devoted the season to developing our long-term programme promoting Polish design and consolidating the Polska brand in such important places as London, Milan, Paris as well as Asia where we have been building our position consistently for the past four years. The I, CULTURE Orchestra has also been gaining in strength as a brand, concluding its third, “northern” tour with a concert in Vilnius during the Eastern Partnership summit. There are new challenges before us – the most immediate of these is the multidisciplinary cultural project in Turkey marking the 600th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. Finally, this is where we always thank our partners from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Polish diplomatic missions, creative organizations and cultural institutions in Poland and abroad, artists and cultural organizers, and as of this year also our partners PKN Orlen and Grupa Lotos S.A. for their kind support in the name of shared values. PAweł potorOCZYN DIRECTOR OF THE ADAM MICKIEWICZ INSTITUTE EDINBURGHE KLOPSZTANGAK PROJECTA ASIA p. 6 p. 14 p. 20 EEPAP LUTOSŁAWSKIL ДA! ДA! ДA! ДFESTIVAL p. 26 p. 30 p. 34 DDESIGN SzSZYMANOWSKI TTURKEY p. 42 p. 50 p. 56 4 ADAM MICKIEWICZ INSTITUTE MMUSIC THEATRET AND PERFORMING ARTS p. 60 p. 86 FFILM VISUALV ARTS AND DESIGN p. 106 p. 98 ABOUT PUBLICATIONSP THE INSTITUTE p. 120 p. 124 REPORT 2012/2013 5 EEDINBURGH • Teatr Biuro Podróży in Ediburgh EDINBURGHE GOLD Four festivals, 180 events, 10 stages, and almost 30,000 spectators – this sums up our participation in the Cultural IN EDINBURGH Olympiad in Edinburgh. Culture has accompanied games since the times of Ancient Greece, when the Olympic Games were as much a contest between athletes as they were a festival of poets, singers, and actors. Due to its magnitude, the Cultural Olympiad accompanying the London 2012 Olympics was split between London and Edinburgh. We chose Edinburgh because the city is a hub of cultural life in the United Kingdom in July and August, and we have been appearing there for years as well. The programme in 2012 was the first one presenting such a broad spectrum of what Polish culture has to offer. We were everywhere: Valery Gergiev conducted the London Symphony Orchestra performing all four of Szymanowski’s symphonies and both his violin concertos, the Cleveland Orchestra gave an amazing performance of Lutosławski’s music, Teatr Biuro Podróży presented • Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bogdan Zdrojewski at the Cultural Olympiad in Edinburgh Aleksandra Borys, Lost In Details 8 ADAM MICKIEWICZ INSTITUTE three productions (performing them a total of 24 times), Teatr We chose Edinburgh because the city is a Pieśń Kozła/Song of the Goat Theatre won a Fringe First award, and hub of cultural life in the United Kingdom Grzegorz Jarzyna’s Macbeth wowed critics and stunned audiences. in July and August, and we have been Strong proof of appreciation is found in the fact that the two most appearing there for years as well. important festivals opened with Polish performances. The avant- garde Fringe Festival began with Biuro Podróży’s Macbeth: Who Is That Bloodied Man?, while the oldest and most prestigious Edinburgh International Festival was inaugurated by a performance of 2008: Macbeth by TR Warszawa. Jarzyna’s show was announced by all the major UK newspapers, which wrote that it was a fountain of artistic excellence (The Sunday Times) and the top event in Scotland (The Scotsman). Polish artists also took part in the Jazz & Blues Festival (Aga Zaryan, Marcin Wasilewski, Mitch&Mitch, Maciej Obara Quartet, Profesjonalizm) and in the Edinburgh Art Festival where we presented the exhibition Here/Now at the Royal Scottish Academy as well as Robert Kuśmirowski’s installation Pain Thing. At Dance Base (one of the best dance centres in the world) Aleksandra Borys whirled solo in the piece Lost in Details and Leszek Bzdyl taught a master class. REPORT 2012/2013 9 EDINBURGHE The premiere of Paweł Passini’s Puppet: Book of Splendour performed by neTTheatre Strong proof of appreciation is found in the fact that the two most important festivals opened with Polish performances. EDINBURGHE Our most numerous presence was at the Fringe Festival. The centre of Polish life during this time was the extraordinary space of Summerhall, a former vet school converted into a creative hub for the arts. This was the venue for performances by the ZAR theatre, komuna//Warszawa, and Teatr Usta Usta Republika; this was where the Song of the Goat Theatre enjoyed great success, The Herald Tribune wrote about their show Songs of Lear that if the review were a song, it would be a hymn of gratitude. Raphael Rogiński worked his magic for four nights at the festival club, presenting a mix of Hassidic music and surf rock as well as blues songs interlaced with some Native American trance-like rhythms. At Summerhall children could watch Polish animated films in the series If You See a Cat & Other Animal Tales while grownups could enjoy Little Black Riding Hood & Other Surreal Stories as well as Borowczyk’s short films Boro in the Box and Guide to the Poles. Another festival venue, the Old College Quad, was the scene of outdoor performances. Next to shows already familiar to local audiences – Carmen Funebre and Macbeth, Teatr Biuro Podróży presented Planet Lem and the KTO theatre performed its show The Blind. Every year the Edinburgh festivals draw in the most original artists, leading impresarios from all over the world, and an international audience. If this had been a sports Olympics, in 2012 we would have won all the gold medals. Cadillac , a production by Teatr Usta Usta Teatr ZAR photo: DOUGLAS Robertson PhotographY • Mitch&Mitch performing in Edinburgh 12 ADAM MICKIEWICZ INSTITUTE • A fragment from Teatr Biuro Podróży’s Carmen Funebre Artists: Aga Zaryan, Agata Dymus-Kaźmierczak, Aleksandra Borys, Aleksandra Zawada, Alte Zahen, Cukunft, Grażyna Dobrzelecka, Grzegorz Bral, Grzegorz Jarzyna, Grzegorz Laszuk, Grzegorz Reske, Jarosław Fret, Jarosław Siejkowski, Jerzy Zoń, Joanna Łyczko, komuna//warszawa, Leszek Bzdyl, London Symphony Orchestra, Maciej Obara Quartet, Magda Błasińska, Marcin Brzozowski, Marcin Masecki, Marcin Wasilewski Trio, Mitch & Mitch With Their Incredible Combo, neTTheatre, Olga Rek, Paweł Passini, Paweł Szkotak, Profesjonalizm, Raphael Rogiński, Robert Kuśmirowski, Teatr Biuro Podróży, Teatr KTO, Teatr Pieśń Kozła/Song of the Goat Theatre, Teatr Szwalnia, Teatr Usta Usta Republika, Teatr ZAR, Valery Gergiev, Wacław Miklaszewski, Wojciech Wiński, Wojtek Ziemilski, Wovoka. PARTNERS: Dance Base, The Edinburgh International Festival, The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, The Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, The Polish Cultural Institute in London, The Polish Consulate in Edinburgh, The Royal Scottish Academy, Summerhall, The Universal Arts. REPORT 2012/2013 13 KLOPSZTANGAK • The Coming Soon exhibition at the Temporary Gallery Köln photo: Marcin Oliva-Soto KLOPSZTANGAK A CARPET-BEATING The aim of the Klopsztanga. Poland Without Borders project was to move beyond the framework of historical Polish- FRAME INSTEAD OF German relations. We meet at the carpet-beating frame [which children playing outdoors in Poland use as a climbing FACEBOOK frame and meeting place]. In the Silesian dialect, klopsztanga means carpet-beating frame. A carpet-beating frame isn’t a thing, an object, it’s a Place. It evokes HAMBURG 25.07–09.09.2012 images of childhood, youthful imagination, innocent emotions, fun, a sense of security, initiation. It is a symbol of relationships. The klopsztanga pictured in the project’s logo is a symbol of communication, exchange of experiences, and dialogue through culture – without ceremony or conventions. In 2012 at the Polish-German carpet- beating frame we worked mostly with visual and performance arts. The meetings in 2013 were all about music. Joanna Kiliszek – Deputy Director of the IAM, Maria Kozłowska – Klopsztanga and Aleksander Gowin – Klopsztanga Project Manager at the Schauspiel Köln press conference photo: Marcin Oliva Soto The Laboured Memory exhibition at Zollverein in Essen photo: Marcin Oliva Soto 16 ADAM MICKIEWICZ INSTITUTE • Concert by