My solo exhibition in Valencia will get opened next thursday, 27.10.2022, in La Finestra, Valencia.
I will be there, and if any of you will be in Valencia at that time and will want to meet me, I will be more than glad to tell you a couple of words about my art.
See you at La Finestra!
In 2021 I created, designed and wrote two introductions to the catalogue „gARTen. Garden of art. Shows in Bern, Gdynia, Porto and Valencia”, by Barbara El / Leszczyńska (me). I took care of all the stages of production.
Here is how it looks like.
As the project went really well, I decided to give it another boost and invited the co-curators to grow it with me. I invited some foreign artists whose works I found interesting, to participate, and I asked the co-curators to do the same. gARTen got its second edition, gARTen 2021, showing 14 works of artists from 10 different countries located on 3 continents.
My name is Barbara El and I started the gARTen project in 2020. At first I had an idea to make an exhibition of the Science Club, which we could print in three countries the three of us lived at the time, and hang it there. To keep the element of meeting the artist at the show, I asked each of us to make a video in which she’d talk about her work.
As a designer I aimed to create the branding, that would work as a whole piece. I started with creating the logo of gARTen, a sign that would follow the boldening of ART in garten [German: garden]. I then based the layout of the posters on the geometry of the logo’s lines. It then became a base for the catalogue’s cover. Each city in which the project was exhibited got its own colour set for the poster, capturing the vibe of the place through the colour set.
The most challenging part for me as a designer was to create a book that is easy to understand, and brings all the complexicity of the subject. I aimed to give order to two editions of the project, show its growth, and bring pictures of how the exposition looked like in the different places, and highlight everyone’s role in the project: mine, Barbara El, as the main curator, dr hab. Bogna Łakomska, prof. ASP, as the Science Club Supervisor, Olga Wardęga and Wera Grześ as co-curators, Ana Tomás Miralles, Universitat Politécnica de Valencia as the Special Guest.
I was responsible for choosing paper, (great part!) checking colour proofs of the print and taking care of the catalogue during all the printing and bookbinding process. It required many radical decisions made in real time. I chose the printing place and the bookbinder who finished the project with a handmade sewing.
The catalogue is also featured at:
https://zbrojowniasztuki.pl/publikacje/katalogi/garten,4303
To know more about the designing process, see the Live I made: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYgmqRfKLsR/
It’s open! Don’t miss your chance to see this collection in December.
Big thanks to all of you who came to see it yesterday! It was a great time and I had much pleasure to share the backstage stories of printmaking processes with you. 
Thank you to Casa Kamarata for the great space and music.
[PL]
Wystawa już otwarta! Wielkie podziękowania dla Casa Kamarata za przestrzeń, przygotowania i muzykę i dla gości za rozmowy o grafice artystycznej i Waszą ciekawość.
Hello!
I am happy to write you here that at the 01.12.2021 I will open my solo exhibition for you in Valencia! This time in Benimaclet, at Casa Kamarata.
It will be an exhibition of graphic prints created by me in various techniques, and in medium size: most of them around 50 x 70 cm. There will be colourful silkscreens and linocuts and black and white lithographs. You will go for a walk in the woods, jump with a foxy creature and get shocked by a disappeareance of a raster.
Keep the date in your calendar!
More information and a poster coming soon 🙂 .
Saludos! 🙂
Today begins my Solo Show FOSSILS, curated by Ana Tomás Miralles, Universitat Politècnica de València! You can see it just until 7th of October 2021, so be fast to arrive there! Free entry. Details of entrance in the poster.
It is a very unusual set of works for me. I have never yet published any of them before and they are created just for this exhibition.
The set is an effect of more than two and a half years of research on cutting on the toxicity of printmaking techniques, and of thinking about the non-biodegradable materials which are, on the other side, so commonly used. The thoughts around these subjects led to such questions as: is it, that the plastic package of the chewing gum will last more than a memory of the ones we love? What will be the fossils of XXI-century?
As a final step of this polemics, I created a set of XXI-century’s fossils, and I am presenting them on the expo.
Look carefully. They are reliefs.
[ES]
Hoy empieza mi exposición individual en la Feria de Muestras de Valencia. El evento es la parte de Iberflora. Entrada gratuita. Detalles del horario en el cartel.
El proyecto FOFFILS no era publicado antes es ningun lugar, y es creado especialmente por esta exposición.
„Fósiles” es un proyecto artístico creado por Barbara Leszczyńska / Barbara El.
Una serie de trabajos que oscilan entre sujetos como: el consumismo, el derroche, cambio climático
y la catástrofe ecológica. Presentado en una manera sintética, este set es el resultado de la búsqueda
por reducir la toxicidad en los procesos de creación de arte y por otro lado la popularidad de materiales no degradables de uso singular. Pareciera que las cosas menos importantes sobrepasan a las más
importantes o es que ¿no es una bolsa de plástico algo más duradero que las memorias de nuestros
seres queridos? Como resultado nace este conjunto de relieves: libre de tinta, con matrices construidas con basura que se encontraba al lado de la calle, combinado con otros elementos como plantas e impreso en un papel de alta calidad.
Las formas de las impresiones recuerdan fósiles, imitando tótem tribales, posturas humanas y cabezas.
Los Fósiles son lo que queda con el pasar de los siglos ¿como serán los fósiles después del siglo XXI?
Las impresiones de este set son fósiles construidos a partir de basura y sobras del siglo XXI, usados
para crear tótem y siluetas con semblanzas humanas: metalizados, con máscaras, de alta tecnología.
Impresiones usadas como auto retratos del ser humano con el objetivo de mantenernos alejados de la
decadencia.
*La descripción del proyecto es la parte del catalogo de la exposición.
La exposición esta abierta hasta el dia 07.09.2021.
[ENG below]
Hola! Este mes de Septiembre he hecho una obra artistica, que queria hacer desde un poco tiempo – y esta obra es EL MURAL!
Lo escribo en Espanol para que sea mas facil a leer para la gente de Espana, especialmente de Valencia (disculpe, ya no hablo Valenciano!), porque el mural es situado en Valencia, en Benimaclet, en La Casa Kamarata – en el patio. Se, que por aqui hay unas personas de Valencia, y todos vosotros queria invitar a ver el mural en persona! Seria superencantada a escuchar si lo has visto.
La Casa Kamarata se encuentre en Carrer del Reverend Rafael Tramoyeres, 6, 46020 València, Valencia, Espana, y mi mural es en el Patio.
Tambien en Valencia por ahora hay mi exposición individual (en ArtySana hasta el 07.12.2021) y la colectiva comisariada por mi (ArtySana Patio, hasta el 30.11.2021) – estas dos son en Rusafa.
Y pronto voy a mostrarte unas cosas mas, tambien en Valencia! Voy a avisarte! Soy muy encantada por tener la posibilidad de mostrar mi arte en este ciudad tan bonito, y tambien por poder mostrarla en varios puntos de Valencia.
Y por aqui te dejo unas fotos del mural. Que te guste!
[ENG]
Hello! As you can see up on the pictures, I made a mural! It is my biggest individual mural so far, and I am very satisfied with how it looks like!
I made it in Casa Kamarata, at the Patio. I invite you to see it! Casa Kamarata is in Benimaclet, the adress is Carrer del Reverend Rafael Tramoyeres, 6, 46020 València, Valencia, Spain.
The theme is fully an original project of mine. It depicts fantastic creatures, and each of them is bigger than the actual human size. Fun fact: today I was working on some small art piece, 70×70 cm, and I really felt it was soooo tiny, now having just the fresh comparison to working on the mural.
The great thing about the project is that sometimes by it there is a table that ends just where the one of the fantastic creatures starts, so you can sit together with them and enjoy your icetea!
If you are in Valencia, don’t forget to step to my individual expo in ArtySana as well, and to the collective one that I am curating, ArtySana Patio – these are in Rusafa.
Let me know if you see the mural or expos!
Greetings!
Hello!
I am writing to invite you to the opening of the „Tinta”: individual show of my paintings and graphic prints in ArtySana, Valencia, Spain.
I will be showing paintings created in Valencia, between 2020 and mid 2021, and graphic prints from various years. The paintings have not been published yet – this will be their fresh opening!
Show starts: 07-08-2021.
Opening at 19.00.
Show ends: 07-12-2021.
Carrer de Dénia, 49, 46004 València, Valencia.
See you there at 19.00!
[PL]
Serdecznie zapraszam na otwarcie mojej wystawy indywidualnej pt. „Tinta”, która ma miejsce w ArtySana w Walencji, w Hiszpanii.
W ramach wystawy prezentuję prace malarskie powstałe w Walencji w okresie od 2020 do połowy 2021r., oraz prace graficzne z różnych lat. Prace malarskie nie były do tej pory publikowane, zatem jest to pierwsza okazja, aby się im przyjrzeć. Utrzymane są w tematyce fantastycznych stworów, a elementami roślinnymi nawiązują do bujnej natury hiszpańskiej, jaką można spotkać w Walencji.
Otwarcie odbędzie się 07.08.2021 o 19.00.
Wystawa potrwa cztery miesiące, do 07.12.2021.
Carrer de Dénia, 49, 46004 València, Valencia.
Zapraszam!
[ESP]
Les invito a mi exposición individual „Tinta” en ArtySana, Carrer de Dénia, 49, 46004 València, Valencia, con la inauguración en el dia 07.08.2021, a las 19.00.
La exposición es el set de las pinturas hechos en Valencia, durante la segunda parte del ano 2020 y la prima parte del 2021, y las obras graficas de varios anos. Las pinturas ya no eran publicadas, pues esto es la primera ocasión a verle. Las pinturas son inspiradas por la naturaleza valenciana, y esta inspiración la combino con el tema de las criaturas fantasticas.
Les invito a ver la expo!
La exposición se puede ver por 4 meses – hasta el dia 07.12.2021.
We are happy to invite you to the opening of the gARTen exhibition in Valencia, Spain, in the beautiful district of Rusafa!
The project will be exhibited at the Patio of ArtySana ❤
The official opening will be held at 17.00, 30.07.2021, in ArtySana, Carrer de Dénia, 49, 46004 València, Valencia. You will meet there the author of the concept of the gARTen project, and the author of two of the seven works shown at the exhibition – @Barbara El (barbaraelart.wordpress.com).
About gARTen:
gARTen is a garden of art.
It is an original project created by Barbara El / Leszczyńska and performed by four artists from Poland, painters and graphic artists: Weronika Grześ, Anna Jakubowska, Barbara Leszczyńska, Olga Wardęga. The project is done as a part of the activities of Dyfuzja Science Club of Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, Poland.
gARTen is set to share the stories, emotions and feelings in reference to the current state of all-over-the-world pandemic and lockdowns of different levels.
This is the visual message to the people affected by the pandemic, from the artists creating in times of pandemic.
gARTen is a garden of art, therefore it is prepared to be seen as an open-air exhibition. This time, at the last of the gARTen cycle, it will inhabit the Patio. Surrounded with beautiful plants it will become a garden of art.
The reproductions of works are followed by QR codes which will lead the viewer to the author’s works descriptions. We reccomend to check them out!
This multimedia aspect is a way of transferring the authors’ stories to the place where the viewers are watching the works. The viewer will be able to listen to the author’s voice describing the story behind the artwork, in most cases from long kilometers away.
The project was already exhibited in OKNa – Espaço Cultural in Porto, Portugal (XII 2020), in Bern in Switzerland (VI 2021) and as the second edition with invited artists from various countries – in Gdynia, Poland, in collaboration with the City of Gdynia Townhall (2021). The exhibition in Comunidad Valenciana, Spain, is the last one that is closing the cycle of gARTen expos.
Les invitamos a la exposición del proyecto gARTen.
gARTen es la mostra de 7 obras de 4 artistas de Polonia, pintoras y grafistas: Weronika Grześ, Anna Jakubowska, Barbara Leszczyńska, Olga Wardęga. El proyecto es realizado como la parte de actividades del Club Científico Dyfuzja en la Academia de Bellas Artes en Gdańsk, Polonia. La autora de concepto de gARTen es Barbara El / Leszczyńska.
gARTen es el jardín de arte, poreso se lo expone al aire libre. Esta vez en el Patio de ArtySana <3.
Cada obra lleva un código QR, que trae al video de la artista, explicando su obra.
Ya hemos expuesto gARTen exposición en OKNa – Espaço Cultural en Porto, Portugal en XII 2020, en Bern en Suiza en VI 2021 y en Gdynia en Polonia, VII 2021 – en Polonia hemos hecho la segunda edición del proyecto con artistas invitadas de otras países, en cooperación con el Ayuntamiento del Ciudad de Gdynia.
Hi! Hola!
I’m inviting you to my individual exhibition which will take place in el espai expositiu QUARTJOVE, starting at 02.02.2021 (it will be available for early bird visit before the online inauguration) and lasting until 15.02.2021. The exhibition will be open to visit in person, yet as the times require social distancing and cautious measures, the inauguration of the exhibition will be held online at 07.02.2021, 20.00. The curator of the exhibition is Ana Tomás Miralles, Universitat Politècnica de València.
To get frequent updates about the upcoming event, follow my instagram @barbaraelart, and to be the first to see the online inauguration, check out the news here at this very wordpress at 20.00, 07.02.2021. There is also an event if you prefer events as they contain the day reminder.
For the ones that are in Valencia now: el espai expositiu QUARTJOVE is located in Carrer de la Torreta, 1, 46930 Quart de Poblet, Valencia, Spain.
The admission is free in all of forms: early bird, online and regular visit.
Disfruta con la exposición!
Barbara El Art 