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Den’s pages has become an exhibit at the Museum of Caricature in Warsaw

Elzbieta Laskowska: “Definitely, this is the first time we present a modern Ukrainian media”
14 March, 2016 - 17:22

Marcin Bondarowicz, famous Polish cartoonist who was recently interviewed by The Day (See No. 10, February 16, 2016), presented several pages of our newspaper to Eryk Lipinsky Museum of Caricature in Warsaw.

Den’s pages with Bondarowicz’s art and interview have become a part of a multimedia presentation that would accompany the exhibition.

The exhibition is entitled “Marcin Bondarowicz. The guardian of secrets” and will be open from March 10 through May 15. It includes the cartoons published by The Day.

Eryk Lipinsky Museum of Caricature in Warsaw is a unique institution in Poland and one of few of its kind in Europe. It was created in 1978. Over the years, its collection has grown from 2,500 items to more than 20,000. It is composed of the masterpieces of Polish and international caricature – from the 18th century to modern works.

A representative of the museum has told The Day that a Ukrainian publication has never before been featured in a display. “Definitely, this is the first time our museum presents a modern Ukrainian media,” said Elzbieta Laskowska, acting Director of the museum.

However, Laskowska adds, the Museum of Caricature is well acquainted with Ukrainian artists. “Over the course of its history, the Museum of Caricature has repeatedly invited Ukrainian cartoonists and artists to its exhibitions. Unfortunately, so far we have not managed to organize a similar presentation of Polish caricatures and satirical drawings in Ukraine. Our bilateral relations have not been as strong as those maintained by satirical cartoonists from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, or even Belgium,” she said to The Day.

A few years ago there had been an idea to organize a joint exhibition of contemporary Polish and Ukrainian cartoonists in Lviv. But the concept was never brought to life.

“Caricatures and cartoons by Ukrainian artists have often been exhibited at the Museum of Caricature in Warsaw. There were both individual and collective displays. Particularly, in 1995 the museum organized the ‘Six times’ exhibition, which presented the artwork by Oleh Derhachov and Volodymyr Kazanevsky. In 2002, we held Derhachov’s solo exhibition,” continues the museum’s director.

Apart from that, artists from Ukraine are always represented well at Satyrykon Legnicki. This exhibition has a contest, winners of which are also granted the opportunity to present their work in the Warsaw Museum of Caricature.

In 2012, the museum cooperated with Ukraine to hold the cartoon competition “Football in the Game” within the framework of the Euro 2012. On it, Volodymyr Kazanevsky won the second place.

Other exhibitions at the museum have featured works by Oleksandr Dubovsky, Mykola Kapusta, Oleksa Kustovsky, and Valerii Momot.

By Maria YUZYCH, Photo by Ruslan KANIUKA, The Day
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