Exhibition: Miłosz Benedyktowicz. Almost Heaven // Opening: December 13, 6:00 PM

Miłosz Benedyktowicz. Almost heaven

The exhibition Almost Heaven showcases the work of Miłosz Benedyktowicz, an artist associated with hyperrealism who passed away in New York in 1992. It focuses on the experiences of emigration and explores themes of identity, sexuality, and life in the face of a
terminal illness. The title of the exhibition is inspired by entries from Józef Czapski's journals, referencing the life of emigrants—full of hope, hardships, and disappointments.

Miłosz Benedyktowicz emigrated from Poland in the late 1970s and settled in New York’s East Village, a district known for its contrasts, social crises, and artistic diversity. His paintings  present a dynamic and idealized vision of New York, contrasting with the documentation of everyday life as an emigrant, captured in the artist’s private photographs and films.

In the mid-1980s, Benedyktowicz abandoned painting in favor of filmmaking, collaborating with Zbigniew Rybczyński. The exhibition bridges aspects of Benedyktowicz’s artistic output with his personal experiences, highlighting the tensions between creative freedom and the challenges of daily life.

Almost Heaven is both a tribute to the artist’s legacy and a reflection on emigration, realism in art, and the condition of the creator during times of social and cultural transformation. The
exhibition includes paintings, video films, photographs, and unique backdrops—backgrounds for advertisements and films from the 1980s.

Curator: Katarzyna Urbańska

Opening Reception: December 13, 6:00 PM
Exhibition Dates: December 14, 2024 – January 26, 2025
(Tuesday–Sunday, 12:00–7:00 PM)

Gallery: Salon Akademii
Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
Krakowskie Przedmieście 5 [entrance from Traugutta Street]

Organizers:
Foundation of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
Czapski Palace, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
Salon Akademii Gallery

Media Patrons:
Artinfo.pl, Notes na 6 tygodni, Szum

Supported by:
Funding from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the
ZAIKS Fund for the Promotion of Creativity