Memories, dreams and visions influence the often melancholic, dark works of the artist, filmmaker, musician and poet Wojciech Bąkowski. He is particularly interested in psychological processes, the spatial form of our imagination, and the possibility – for example, through lucid dreaming – of pushing one’s consciousness to the limits. Born and raised in the Polish city of Poznań, the atmosphere and visual style of Bąkowski’s work has been shaped by the surroundings of his childhood – 1970s high-rise housing estates with never-ending rows of cramped flats and labyrinthine, shadowy corridors as well as elevators and railway tracks.
For Ruhr Ding: Schlaf, Bąkowski has developed an installation in an empty kiosk next to a loop of a tram track. Here, deep in urban space, an enchanting, dreamlike scenario unfolds, which, in its simplicity, awakens existential feelings. In addition to this work, the Neue Essener Kunstverein is opening a solo exhibition by the artist in cooperation with Urbane Künste Ruhr on the occasion of Ruhr Ding: Schlaf.
Wojciech Bąkowski studied Fine Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznań. In 2007, he joined forces with other Polish artists to form the legendary group PENERSTWO. He is an internationally successful visual artist as well as a musician for various bands.
Wojciech Bąkowski (*1979 in Poznań) lives in Warsaw.
