Is it possible to be indifferent to suffering? Information about war and its victims, the enormous amount of pain and death, human trafficking, hunger, economic struggles, murders, rapes, beatings – all around us – is overwhelming. At a certain point, the sheer volume of information can cause indifference. The war in Ukraine, the appalling brutality of man against man, the situation of the war refugees and those trapped on the Polish-Belarusian border have 'brought' the problem closer, giving us the feeling that Europe is an element in a global political game. However, such tangible human suffering requires us, as citizens and as human beings, to take a stand, to react to the violence. Artists, too, are not indifferent to this subject.
As artists, we ask the question: can art be an audible voice in the social discourse on violence? Paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, videos, performances – the whole arsenal of visual art actions often refer to emotions – they shock, move, outrage. They are often the voice of those who are ignored and unable to talk about their suffering. They show uncomfortable situations and phenomena. They confront us, the viewers, with a difficult reality.

We are showing selected works of over 30 artists from around the world at a collective, international exhibition at the WL4 Art Space in the Mleczny Piotr building until July 31, 2022.