In an introduction to The Mass Culture Czesław Miłosz – translator and editor of this anthology – explaining his interest in the subject wrote: Literature and arts should be aware of conditions in which they were bound to develop, they cannot disregard a mighty competitor – mass entertainment culture.

Preparing the exhibition we wanted to comment on Milosz’s opinion using the tools of mighty competitor...

Miłosz thought arts is one of the most suspicious of man’s interests – he compared literature to the tournament of humpbacks, he used to write negatively about film as a medium that has an ambition of showing reality whereas – due to Miłosz – arts was powerless towards reality and the fact of giving a piece a form was a way of escaping from reality. Art conceived from abnormality in fact turned to be a curse, not a calling.

PROGRAMME of an opening of the exhibition, 20 May:

5.00 pm – opening of multimedia works

Ania and Adam Witkowski: ALFABET (ALPHABET)
Katarzyna Kijek and Przemysław Adamski: IN STATU NASCENDI

6.00 pm – film

lecture: About Miłosz’s relations with cinema and popular culture – Bartosz Filip
The Magic Mountain – the American portrait of Czesław Miłosz (dir. M. Zmarz-Koczanowicz, 2000, 60’)

The exhibition will be opened in the Old Town Hall till 31 May, each day from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm.
ADMISSION free

The project is realised in the frame of the Miłosz Multiple Portrait cycle.
The exhibition was co-financed by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Herritage within the framework of the Miłosz Year.