wiktoria tundys

Power, Prejudice, Stereotypes | Sylwia Zawiślak
February 2025
Artstübli Kunst & Kultur (CH)

Sylwia Zawiślak presents a compelling visual investigation into the persistent entanglement of image, perception, and power in contemporary culture. Developed during her artistic residency at the Laurenz Haus Foundation in Basel, the exhibition reflects on the subtle and often insidious ways in which prejudice continues to shape our collective consciousness. Through a series of linocuts and object based works, the artist confronts the enduring force of stereotypes that traverse not only media and mass culture, but also the deeper structures of social memory. 
Her works revisit a medium rooted in historical craft, yet their content reaches into the most pressing concerns of our time. Figures emerge from the surface in states of tension and resilience, embodying the psychological imprints of inherited bias and the societal expectations imposed upon identity. Alongside prints, the artist introduces new sculptural works incorporating glass, resin and synthetic materials. These objects mark a turning point in her practice, extending her interest in formal experimentation and material intelligence. 

A particularly intimate gesture within the exhibition is a collection of portraits of women whom the artist met during her time in Switzerland. Rendered on hand crafted ceramic tiles, these portraits serve not as traditional likenesses, but as personal responses to stories of migration, belonging and resilience. They are records of encounter and empathy, guided by intimacy rather than observation. Through this work, Zawiślak underscores the possibility of art not only as witness, but as participant in the construction of new narratives of care and visibility.