« It may be that we are no longer within art today. Simply because we missed the moment when it transformed into something entirely different, something we do not know how to name. But one thing is certain: what we are doing today offers far greater possibilities. »
Art in the Post-Artistic Era
Jerzy Ludwinski (Osieki, 1970)

The Paris Biennale in Torun is not merely an art event: it is a phenomenon that redefines the very notion of art. In the city of Jerzy Ludwinski, author of the visionary concept of the post-artistic era, artists and thinkers come together who, instead of creating works, create activities. No exhibitions, no art market, no curators, but with a real impact on reality. This is art without objects, yet full of content – a practice that happens here and now, often imperceptible at first glance, but real like a demonstration, a community garden, an unconventional gathering, or a collective climate action.

The Paris Biennale was initiated in 1959 by André Malraux, writer and Minister of Culture, as a counterbalance to the Americanization of French culture. It quickly became the most avant-garde art event in Europe. Over time, its innovative character was taken up by other artistic institutions, and in the 1985s, a lack of funding led to its interruption. At the beginning of the new millennium, the Biennale was reactivated by the artist Alexandre Gurita. Redefined, the Paris Biennale transformed into a parallel institution that does not follow the gallery framework, but that of the artists. It is a grassroots platform promoting what is called invisual art: art that is not reduced to an object, a work, or an exhibition. Just as Copernicus, born in Torun, showed that the Earth is not the center of the universe, the Biennale shows that the artwork does not have to be the center of art. Art can be a strategy, a relationship, a form of action, and above all, a communal process of thought and empathy.

The Paris Biennale in Torun also marks an important step toward sustainable cooperation between artists from Poland and France, in a context where the need for a united and strengthened Europe is more urgent than ever.

The Paris Biennale in Torun also hosts a scholarly symposium on the future of art collections, entitled What Kind of Art Collection for the Future?, where artistic presentations intersect with contributions from theorists.

Co-organized by the Centre of Contemporary Art Znaki Czasu and the Faculty of Fine Arts of Nicolaus Copernicus University, the event brings together diverse creative approaches to create a space for reflection, action, and dialogue – in a spirit of empathy, ecology, and decolonial awareness. The Centre of Contemporary Art in Torun is an ideal venue for such an event of free expression, based on invisual and unconventional artistic forms. It does not so much display art as it activates it. This four-day gathering invites us to view art from a radically different perspective – not as a product, but as a practice aimed at changing the world.

Press Kit (English)

The Program (English)

Polish Documents

Press Kit

Contact

Email: info@biennaledeparis.fr

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