Curatorial Concept

Aniołki. Beneath the Eyelids

We never truly forget places, people, or events – they remain with us, beneath our eyelids and under our skin. Our experiences shape our lives and the shared memory of the city.

This year, NARRACJE moves to the Gdańsk district of Aniołki – a place whose rich past carries a burden we do not wish to erase. Instead, we seek to lift the social veils of shame and release the difficult stories woven into the local DNA. We propose a narrative centred on memory – familial, communal, social and personal – and on painful experiences that continue to haunt subsequent generations. We aim to create a space where art becomes a tool for working through complex themes, a source of empathy and community. Rather than simply ‘retelling’ the past, we will engage with it through visual language, touch and shared understanding, creating a profound encounter that invites emotion and vulnerability.

This year’s edition of NARRACJE is rooted in the principles of sustainable development and collaboration with the local community, including grassroots Aniołki activists and those guiding visitors along the festival route. This approach is a starting point for dialogue – about the present and about ways of confronting difficult histories. We hope that festival guests will find space here for their own emotions and reflections, carrying them beneath their eyelids.

What we experience stays with us forever – just as the difficult past of Aniołki still lingers in its soil and walls. During NARRACJE, we will allow these memories and histories to be released, to coexist within the space. The artists we are working with will employ diverse approaches – grounded in the body, touch, lived experience, empathy and the aesthetics of trauma. Through these elements, we will connect with the place, with the stories of the district, its residents, and personal experiences.

Maja Murawska
Karolina Połom