The Krasnals / The Dwarves

Domino

2011-12-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

The Krasnals "EU Domino". 2011. Mixed media on paper. 21,5 x 30 cm
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The WALL

2011-12-27T06:10:00.000-08:00

The Krasnals, Whielki Krasnal "THE WALL". 2011. Mixed media on paper. 30 X 42 CM

Another Brick in the Wall, another Star in the Circle.

THE WALL Pink Floyd:

http://famul55.wrzuta.pl/film/9g9nfcpyWsq/pink_floyd_-_another_brick_in_the_wall

Happy New Year!

2011-12-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Dance with me". 2011.Mixed media on hardboard. 40 x 40 cm

"Another brick in the wall" Pink Floyd
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4SKL7f9n58

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Silvio Berlusconi - Resignation - the end of Bunga Bunga

2011-11-14T04:20:00.000-08:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Silvio Berlusconi dimissioni, the end of Bunga Bunga". 2011. Oil on canvas. A fragment of bigger picture.

BERLUSCONI'S AFFAIR, BERLUSCONI QUITS, BERLUSCONI SCANDAL, RESIGMATION OF BERLUSCONI, pime minister of italy , BERLUSCONI RESIGNS, silvio berlusconi, WPADKI BERLUSCONIEGO, italy,

Polish Art - the best commodity

2011-11-13T04:35:00.000-08:00

POLISH ART

We have to defend Polish Art! - This is the best national product.

We expose even better to sell better !

Polish Art - The Queen of our European Union Presidency.

Polish goods are the best!

POLAND NOW!

Just 1%?!!! MORE !!!

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "POLAND/Polish Art". 2011.Oil on canvas 40 x 50 cm

Independent Poland

2011-11-10T06:26:00.001-08:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Poland Independent / Polish Independence Day " 11.11.11. Oil on canvas. 40 x 90 cm (fragment)

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Poland Independent / Polish Independence Day " 11.11.11. Oil on canvas. 40 x 90 cm

The Krasnals - Thymos, The Art of Anger

2011-11-03T04:48:00.000-07:00

The Krasnal. Krasnal Hałabała "SPERM & BLOOD, How to bleed out and spermed out Polish people? / Tribute to Maurizio Cattelan". 2011. Acrylic on paper. 100 x 70 cm

"The European Union / Good As It Gets - It's OK"

2011-10-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals "The European Union / Good As It Gets - It's OK". Poland, Poznań.

Another action of The Krasnals on the wall of the Old Gasworks. Job expresses opposition, rebellion against the unification of the individual within the European Union. What unfortunately is a terrible force and starts to resemble the Soviet Empire. How ironic, after 20 years of "democracy," the walls are becoming popular again.

Key words: European Union, Jack Nicholson, Herman Van Rompuy, José Manuel Barroso, Catherine Ashton, Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Silvio Berlusconi, Jeorios Andreas Papandreu, Karolos Papulias, David Cameron, Jerzy Buzek, Donald Tusk, European Commission, Euro, European Central Bank, Europäische Zentralbank, Banque centrale européenne

Muammar Gaddafi is dead

2011-10-21T05:30:00.000-07:00

Frightening pictures!
Gaddafi dead pictures!
Deposed dictator Muammar Gaddafi of Libya

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Brothers in Arm - Revolutionaries /Muammar Gaddafi / Alexander Lukashenko / Hosni Mubarak". 2011. Oil on canvas. Excerpt of big painting.

Key words: Аляксандр Рыгоравіч Лукашэнка ,مُعَمَّر القَذَّافِي‎ ,محمد حسني سيد مبارك‎

COMMON TASK – I want you for EU Army

2011-09-27T05:21:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals „Ooh babe... I want you for EU Army / Common Task / Tribute to Samuel Wilson, James Mondgomery, Tribute to America and Europe”. 1917/2011. Mixed media on board. 60 x 40 cm

The iconic, textbook example of early twenty-first century critical art, created by the group The Krasnals. Manufactured with compatibility with the standards of the European Union and its premises (not in China) for critical art, produced by licensed artists. ATTENTION - the project is not funded by the European Union.

Art for Social Change

God bless EU!
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Launching Art Police Gazette - 54th Venice Biennale 2011

2011-05-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

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Meet with The Krasnals from 1-7 June in Venice. You will notice us at Giardini or Arsenale area, with our The Kingdom of The Krasnals pavilion.

We have a pleasure to inform you about launching of the new art magazine Art Police Gazette. The first issue of this publication is fully devoted to 54th Venice Biennale 2011. The Krasnals have just begun to print hundreds of thousands of copies and to distribute them for free all over the world. This journalistic experiment is recommended by top art critics and curators, some of their opinions are placed in the issue.

ART POLICE GAZETTE
Is modeled on the World’s Leading Art Magazine Flash Art and an old American tabloid Police Gazette.

Founded in 2011 by anonymous artists The Krasnals (The Dwarves), it immediately established itself as the leading magazine of contemporary art worldwide, both for its choice of artists and its coverage of the most up-to-date trends. It has the chance to become the “cult” benchmark for contemporary art in Europe. Published irregularly for a year, it will be most followed and influential art magazine. Distributed in 87 countries.

Polish joke artist WHIELKI KRASNAL – (the leader of The Krasnals art collective)
is launching a new art magazine Art Police Gazette, in collaboration with much-loved Greek supercollector. Dubbed Art Police Gazette, the publication is described as “a new generation magazine that combines commercial painting, twisted narratives and surrealistic imaginary to create a series of powerful visual tableaux.” Whielki Krasnal is collaborating on the project with the photographer Krasnal Bansky.

The launch of the publication coincides with The Krasnals show at Venice Biennale, June 1 – November 27, 2011. Located in the New National Pavilion of The Kingdom of The Krasnals, the space is inaugurated this year with a collaboration between Bice Curiger and Vittorio Sgarbi.

According to Anda Rottenberg Art Police Gazette is “introducing an iconosphere that makes you think into the public domain, a lot wider than the gallery circulation”.
When asked whether The Krasnals were provocateurs, Rottenberg said that provocation is not the aim of those anonymous artists, but a means to “expose certain phenomena to the eyes of the society”.

"Pole lifting meteorite from pope. 21:37" - release

2011-05-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals at 54th Venice Biennale - Wroclaw 05.2011

Good News - First copy of ART POLICE GAZETTE

2011-05-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

- New foreign patronage of The Krasnals
- Launching of the new art magazine ART POLICE GAZETTE at Venice Biennale
- New blog of The Krasnals (from June 1) http://the-krasnals.blogspot.com/
- Moving our center to Berlin

First copy on Whielki Krasnal's knees.

Whielki Krasnal gives the first copy to our new patron

Whielki Krasnal delighted
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The Krasnals at 54th Venice Biennale

2011-05-27T13:33:00.001-07:00

The Krasnals at 54th Venice Biennale
Pole lifting mmeteorite from pope. 21:37

Museums Night in Wrocław
14 May, 19.00-00.30

Centrum Sztuki Impart, ul. Mazowiecka 17, Wrocław

Curators: Ewelina Jarosz, Krzysztof Dziedzic
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Hey, hey, goodby! Killing Osama Bin Laden

2011-05-27T13:30:00.001-07:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Dead or alive or just propaganda. Most important - dead. God bless America! / Osama bin Laden". 2011. Oil on canvas. Fragment of a big painting.
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Pope John Paul II - beatification

2011-05-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

PAPA IN DA HOUSE
JP2
Text: Stach Szabłowski / red. The Krasnals
Ilustracja: The Krasnals
2011.04.07

Good news: in the April issue of Hiro on the cover portrait of Pope by The Krasnals, and inside article to our images of Pope written by Stach Szabłowski .

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "I see it in black colours / Pope John Paul II, from the Great Poles series ". 2011. Oil on canvas. 60 x 81 cm

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Full Moon. Meteorites rain / Jan Paweł II, from the Great Poles series ". 2011. Oil on canvas. 27 x 33 cm

Zenek's cultural life

2011-04-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals "Zenek's cultural life, ordinary Pole / from Great Poles".

I'm Zenek. I'm tollerant

2011-04-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Krasnls. Whielki Krasnal "I'm Zenek. I'm tollerant. / from Great Poles". 2011. Oil on board.

Zenek - ordinary pole, from "Great Poles"

2011-04-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

The Krasnls. Whielki Krasnal "Zenek - ordinary pole / from Great Poles". 2011. Oil, sheet metal.

Funeral of my parents Peter and Paul

2011-04-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Funeral of my parents Peter and Paul / from "Great Poles / according to Maurizio Cattelan". 2011. Oil on board. 38 x 60 cm

"Polish - Polish War"

2011-04-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals & Magdalena Abakanowicz "UNRECOGNISED: 1940 Katyn / 10 April 2010 Smolensk"

Unrecognised. 10 April.

2011-04-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

Poznań, Citadel

The Krasnals & Magdalena Abakanowicz "Unrecognised: 1940 Katyn / 10 April 2010 Smolensk"

We invite to Citadela to see our artistic installation!

Szymborska is COOL !!!

2011-04-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

Our friday's performance, during Jenny Holzer vernisage, consisted of strewing 10 000 leaflets. On leaflets was a fragment of Wisława Szymborska's poem. Windy weather furthered, so Stary Browar and a park were buried under a "snow" of white sheets.

In this way we went in to a dialog with Holzer, in interaction, by using the same expression - written words. On the other hand we opposed her digital's projections ordianry paper sheets. Inter alia it was about showing, that ordinary means are about 1000 times stronger than very expensive, snobbish projections, based on special effects. Moreover Holzer's action was pedictable, and there was nothing that would distinguish that one from the others. But little sheet was enough. A sheet with a very disgraceful poem. Action of culture jamming once again appears to be stronger.
We don't have any photos of our action because it was about to running fast and didn't making yourself been caught. But who was - knows what we are talking about.
Another problem - Holzer's action had a political meaning which was right and empty. In distinction from artist we didn't choose most popular and known poems of Szymborska. We chose a poem that had been written before she recived a Nobel prize award and which was showing communistic inclinations of Szymborska. We added to the poem a provocative question, which was forcing to giving thought to what were the reasons of giving to Wisława Szymborska Noble prize award: Nobel prize winner? Red communistic pig?

And there came an answer...
On friday we met with Holzer. She was demanding on explenations on subject of leaflets. Artist was shocked when she found out about communistic past of Szymborska. After a long discution she proposed to us to cooperate with her during her next projection, which was made next day on city hall. We decided that addendum of the project will be carried through old town transparent with a sign: Szymborska is COOL !!! with companion of hammer and sickle.

COOL - as all the symbols of commune, for youth generation are COOL, trendy, they awake pleasant, warm and almost sexy - overly emotional feelings. But only when there will come to sexual intercourse with commune, even with a great commitment, there will be no orgasm. The only thing that will be is hangover and disgust.

All of that the town hall is the most beautiful.

Wisława Szymborska: Nobel prize winner? Red communistic pig?

2011-04-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

Nobel prize winner?
Red communistic pig?

Questions sound roughly
but that's how it should
because you have chosen life of communist

Party. Belong to it.
Act with it. Dream with it. In dauntless projects with it.
In sleepless care with it. Believe me it is the most beautiful
what can ever happen.
Wisława Szymborska

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Nobel prize winner? Red communistic pig? / Wisława Szymborska", from "Great Poles". 2010. Oil on canvas. Excerpt of big painting.

Jenny Holzer and The Krasnals in Art Stations Foundation in Stary Browar, Poznań.
8.o4-31.08.2011

Today 8 April 2011 hour: 21:00 - 23:00 projection / action

6th Anniversary of John Paul II

2011-04-02T13:57:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Pope John Paul II left hand blessing". 2011. Oil on canvas. 55 x 46 cm

The link between good and beautiful stirs fruitful reflection. In a certain sense, beauty is the visible form of the good, just as the good is the metaphysical condition of beauty.
Letter of His Holiness Pope John Paul II to artists.

The Krasnals group take on it's shoulders present cross. It undertakes attempt of uniting two quarelled, for many years, ideologies - church and communists. In cosequence of arised a painting of John Paul II. In their artistic vision The Krasnals are demolishing previous canons and for the first time in history, they lead to that pope is giving blessing by using his left hand. This is clear obeisance to people with communistic beliefs. Painting is maintenaced in a very amicable, peaceful atmosphere, full of pleasure, downright of hedonistic content. In this way The Krasnals hava a hope, that communists will accept John Paul II who is blessing by his left hand.

The Krasnals "Advertisement of a agreement cross made of styrofoam". 2011. Photography. Limited edition I 1/10

ATTENTION! SPECIAL OFFER!!!

Styrofoam cross for everybody.

The Krasnals company is presenting new product. In it's offer now appears a sculpture - cross. Product is referred as well as to supporters and opponents. Due to high quality and nanotechnology it allows owner as well as honoring or profanation it. The Krasnals are heading with this offer to those who fight for cross. Now everyone may have its own cross in home. It prevents fights between people. You can do whatever you want with the cross unitl you do it in your home. Size and colour will be adjusted to customers preferences.

Girl on the cross is not avalible. She is just an element of arrangement presented by The Krasnals.

Attention!!!
Every single cross is one and only work of contemporary art. We add a certificate of authenticity.

3rd birthday of The Krasnals group

2011-04-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal „Untitled / 37°13'38″N 140°25'50″E / 1”. 2011. Photography / limited edition I 1/10. 70 x 100 cm

We are humanitarian and noble, we do not want to conquer another races, we just want to hand over them our values in exchange for their heritage. We consider ourselves as blessed knights of Contact. It is the second falsehood.

Stanisław Lem, “Solaris”

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal „Untitled / 37°13'38″N 140°25'50″E / 2”. 2011. Photography / limited edition I 1/10. 70 x 100 cm

We are only seeking Man. We have no need of other worlds. We need mirrors. We don't know what to do with other worlds. A single world, our own, suffices us; but we can't accept it for what it is.

Stanisław Lem, “Solaris”

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal „Untitled / 37°13'38″N 140°25'50″E / 3”. 2011. Photography / limited edition I 1/10. 70 x 100 cm

We are searching for an ideal image of our own world: we go in quest of a planet, of a civilisation superior to our own but developed on the basis of a prototype of our primeval past.

Stanisław Lem, “Solaris”

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal „Untitled / 37°13'38″N 140°25'50″E / 4”. 2011. Photography / limited edition I 1/10. 70 x 100 cm

That co-existence with copy eliminates continuation – I agree. However, does copy arise after yours annihilation is really you, so does this possibility opens you a chance for coming alive again – this still has to be proven. Up till now everything is against this understanding of that matter.

Stanisław Lem, “Dialogs”

We announce with a big pleasure, that now The Krasnals group officially enter the market of photography. Hereby we present our first completely professional limited edition photographs.

Man of Modeling Clay

2011-03-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Man of Modeling Clay" / Andrzej Wajda from "Great Poles". 2011. Oil on canvas. Excerpt of a big painting.

GENERAL Anda Rottenberg: Piece of art doesn't arise with intention to offend somebody. It shows the problem.

2011-03-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals / painter from Krupówki “General Anda Rottenberg” / from “The Great Poles”. 2011. Oil on board. 70 x 60 cm

"People say that in area of visual arts she has stolen the biggest amount of money."

It is also told that in present tenses for some formations The Order of the White Eagle and Red star are identity.

"Piece of art doesn't arise with intention to offend somebody. It shows problem."
Anda Rottenberg

Keywords: The Order of the White Eagle, Wojciech Jaruzelski, General, Anda Rottenberg, Bronisław Komorowski

150 Monkeys

2011-03-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals
150 Monkeys
18.03.2011 - 29.03.2011
Art Agenda Nova, Cracow

'All this LPRs actions – it's a creeping censorship! - - increasingly the gallerists and curators debates with themselfs: to exhibit some artist or not to exhibit...'
Łukasz Guzek

Attention!
Before you see this exhibition, read carefully this text or get yourself a banana.

Fifty serigraphs, one hundred and fifty monkeys, one group, ten, hundreds, millions, and maybe even miliards of members. It must be The Krasnals' display.

- Mummy, look! Sasnal repainted the painting by Whielki Krasnal!
- No, darling it's...wait, I couldn't tell you who was first – Whielki Krasnal or Sasnal?

This is only an assumptive conversation which maybe some day will come, if Krasnals are showed at so called „showroom”. But certainly not impossible because recently I heard childs question: Who was first: Sasnal or Krasnal? My answer suprised me, I said immediately: Whielki Krasnal and who?
Of course, the first was Sasnal. After all The Krasnals made a big time basing on his works. They emerged at the best moment when curators and critics became so arrogant to promote such man as Wilhelm Sasnal. Opponents of The Krasnals impute to them that they catch to well-known artists and because of that they become famous. By the way, it is not on which all conteporary art bases refering all the time to somebody? Sasnal himself was saying that he couldn't make anything from his imagination, he is only repainting existing paintings.
Whielki Krasnal is doing the same. He takes not his painting and repaits it. Moreover, it always better than the original. It is the same with „Untitled (Group of Monkeys with White Bananas)”. Tjis painting is the response to Sasnal's „Monkeys with white margin”. For the joke prepared by The Krasnals fell even the auction house Christie's pricing this painting for sevety thousand pounds. They cancelled the price only then they realized that Whielki Krasnal (because that signature was on the painting) is not Wilhelm Sasnal. Do The Krasnals make anything new? No. At bottom they're making a travesty.
Through their activity The Krasnals are trying to discover how art world looks like. They're jeering all this artists who are giving themselfs to curators' hands but loudly announcing their independendence. This how it is until they finish up at directors' and get schedule for years. How it looks like you can see at Whielki Krasnals painting „Dreams' Factory”.
It's The Krasnals who are trying to answer the question where is the place for artist. The best depiction of the hierarchy in the art world is the pyramid of animals. On the painting there are three monkeys. At the bottom, the biggest monkey is the artist, than there is the curator (smaller one), topmost there is the critic. After the biggest and the strongest always stands someone smaller but more clever. Someone who will tell which way choose.
The main, and the only one character of this exhibition which is „Untitled (Group of Monkeys with White Bananas)” is also very meaningful. He shows clearly that contemporary artist is like monkey. He will scream blue murder announcing his freedom and predominance but at the end he will follow the one with the bananas.

Vatican at Venice Biennale

2011-03-12T18:55:00.000-08:00

In January 2009 Corriere della Sera adducing at archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi announced that Vatican will have their own pavilion at 2011 Venice Biennale.

In the picture: The Krasnals - project referring to Maurizio Cattelan's work in Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw, Poland)

The chairman of the Pontifical Council for Culture intimated his decision to Venice Biennale representatives and Italian minister of culture.
Corriere della Sera called this initiative as a Crusade which intent is to put church in a place which nowadays is the most antagonistic place for church - contemporary art.
Archbishop Ravasi said that he thinks in Vatican's pavilion may find a place for few artists from all continents. He also listed artists who he appreciate for "using of symbols": Bill Viola, Anish Kapoor and Jannis Kounellis.
Polish journalist Adam Horta considers that in Vatican's pavilion may find a palce for polish artist. He thinks the biggest chance have Mirosław Bałka and The Krasnals group.

John Galliano anti-Semitism scandal

2011-03-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "John Galliano". 2011. Oil on cardboard. 49 x 42 cm
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Galliano faced his accusers at a local Paris police station Monday, a couple who claim he made anti-Semitic slurs - illegal in France - after a video emerged of the famed creator praising Adolf Hitler.
Natalie Portman 'shocked' by John Galliano's anti-Semitic slurs.
The Jewish Oscar winner who was chosen as the face of Miss Dior Cherie fragrance says she will not be associated with Galliano in any way.
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The Krasnals War with Facebook Censorship

2011-02-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

The Krasnals. Big Dwarf "Facebook – Censorship". 2011. Oil on cardboard. 50 x 70 cm

The act of censorship, removing The Krasnals facebook account is one of the biggest crimes against free culture, democracy, freedom of artistic speech in Poland since the last decade !

For a couple of days, when trying to access th account, we get the message "your account is disabled. It is damaged". After sending a series of e-mails to disabled@facebook.com, we got the reply, that we may make a group, but after registering as a real person. Without any warning, our two-year work of art has been destroyed, the data archive (photos, texts and comments were a very import_ant social voice. Is this a new form of burning inconvenient books?) and a wide amount of friends, gathered contacts, that we cannot get back. If we received some information a few days beforehand, we could have informed our friends and save the most import_ant information.

Facebook proves once again, that democracy and its main element- freedom of speech is fictional. Facebookis a syndrome of our times and a modern way of censoring. The official freedom of speech is controlled from every corner and denied to us undercover of precise terms and regulations of use. To this accusation Facebook always responds negatively.
So it requires to give out real personal data, which is impossible in the case of an anonymous artist using a pseudonym. This is the first proof allowing to get removed from facebook. But what's more important– your profile gets blocked when a certain number of people reports abuse. What does it mean?
It suffices, when some people are against critical comments, and boom- the profile disappears from public space. The accounts do not disappear according to some rules, but after reporting abuse. So first, someone has to report this and then someone has to verify this, or at least they should. Human malevolence knows no boundaries, in case some group doesn't like someone for some reason, they can easily block the account. This way we have absurdities, like freedom of speech have only those politically correct consumers of goods produced by modern corporations.
We opt for no political party, the only thing we are sensitive to is social deformation, no matter what the political source. We try to provoke discussion about some sick phenomena, especially in culture.
In our case it is a n embarrassing form of censorship, because it is known that our activity is not pleasant to everyone and is mainly executed over the internet.
Our main tool of functioning is being taken away from us.

Egyptian revolutionary

2011-02-07T16:12:00.001-08:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Egyptian revolutionary 19:39". 2010. Oil on hardboard 50 x 70 cm

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EGIPT - NEFERTITI

2011-02-01T14:21:00.000-08:00

Nefertiti
The Krasnals. "Please...! Take me back to EGYPT! / Nefertiti". 2011. Stencil, canvas. 21 x 15 cm

Nefertiti, Neues Museum, Museum Island Berlin, Hosini Mubarak, Egypt revolution
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The Krasnals exclusive interview with the queen NEFERTITI

Ready for leadership
For Nefertiti, it is a chance to shake off her image as an elitist who is out of touch after years of being abroad.
Speaking to The Krasnals reporter still being held in Neue Museum in Berlin, Nefertiti said:

“This is a critical time in the life of Egypt and I have to come to participate with the Egyptian people,"
"If people, in particular young people, ... want me to lead the transition, I will not let them down. My priority right now ... is to see a new regime and to see a new Egypt through peaceful transition."

"We're still reaching out to the regime to work with them for the process of change. Every Egyptian doesn't want to see the country going into violence," she said. "Our hand is outstretched."

"I wish that we didn't have to go to the streets to impress on the regime that they need to change," queen Nefertiti said. "There is no going back. I hope the regime stops the violence, stops detaining people, stops torturing people."

We asked Egyptians why the presence of Nefertiti is so important for them now:
"We need our beloved Queen Nefertiti to lead us to the change we want, for the regime to fall and Mubarak to leave and for a new, free Egypt to be born!"

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Egyptian Antiquities in Peril; Troops Guard Museum

That breach, on Friday night, galvanized a contingent of impassioned defenders who have pledged to keep plunderers at bay. Some have been outside the museum since word of the first attack, determined to protect the country’s cultural patrimony.

“It’s the heart of our civilization,” said thirty-two-year-old Ali Said, perspiring in the noonday heat as he stood guard outside the museum Tuesday, arms linked with those of men standing beside him. “And it’s not just for us; it belongs to the entire world.”
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International Holocaust Remembrance Day / January 27

2011-01-27T01:07:00.001-08:00

The Krasnals. Big Dwarf "To the memory of all victims of Holocaust / During Holocaust in Poland died 6.000.000 Dwarves!!!”. 2010. Oil on hardboard. 50 x 70 cm

The Krasnals "Lego. Anonymous victim of Holocaust / Dwarf. "
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"Three Hanging Kids" / bambini Cattelan / Jan Tomasz Gross

2011-01-16T14:00:00.001-08:00

The Krasnals. Big Dwarf "hanging kids the Death of Which Child Would be the Best Business? 2010. Oil on canvas. 97 x 97 cm
Maurizio Cattelan 'Hanging Kids','I bambini ci guardano', 'tre bambini impiccati', 'The Children Are Watching Us' . Three children hang on a tree and watch the truth with their eyes wide open.

From an interview with The Krasnals in the Polish newspaper "Gazeta Wyborcza":

Already now, a few weeks before the release of a book by Jan Tomasz Gross, "Golden Harvest" (about Poles doing Holocaust on Jews), discussions began, also observed by The Krasnals, whose attitude towards this issue could be easily called uncompromising. Their image of "Three Hanging Kids" with the sub-title "the Death of Which Child Would be the Best Business?", caused controversy in the media. The painting directly refers to the famous work of Maurizio Cattelan depicting three hanging kids. The Italian artist became particularly symbolic for Polish art, because his sculpture of Pope crushed by a meteorite, "La Nona Ora", presented in the National Gallery Zacheta in 2001, opened a decade of intensive growth of contemporary art in Poland.

What is your opinion on the topic of the book "Golden Harvest"?
- recently, we heard somewhere in the media, a statement that "for this we will not apologize" - this is resentful - and we should apologize for the rest of our lives for Polish citizens who were standing on the side of evil. It is obvious, we are not guilty, but we should apologize to those people who were harmed on Polish soil, even after their death - they explain.
Gross describes searchers of valuables in an abandoned camp of Treblinka, recalling an old photograph published in Gazeta Wyborcza daily. You were also interested in this topic.
- The picture of gold prospectors from Treblinka, with which Gross begins his new book, we cut from a newspaper two years ago and hung it over our desk. We did a lot of drawings on the subject.

Why have you placed three hanging kids on your latest painting?
- It is a piece, which evokes the atmosphere of callousness around Holocaust, in a reflective way. We do not have teaching tendencies and we're not using our works to educate anyone. It is the task for historians and writers such as Gross. This painting is poetic rather than didactic. We're not trying to prove anything. We leave room for interpretation, because we believe that someone who sees our work will be thoughtful and sensitive.
There is no doubt that you see your own beliefs in Gross's books.
You are artists, for whom the relevant material is memory - individual and collective.
- Traumas should be overworked, not closed in taboo areas, even if it means severe irritation of national pride.
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Maurizio Cattelan 'Hanging Kids','I bambini ci guardano', 'tre bambini impiccati', 'The Children Are Watching Us' . Three children hang on a tree and watch the truth with their eyes wide open.
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"Golden harvest" Jan Tomasz Gross

2011-01-11T01:42:00.000-08:00

The Krasnals. Big Dwarf "Golden harvest... It's horrible! ". 2011. Oil on canvas. 50 x 73 cm
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DO YOU TRUST ANONYMS?

2011-01-05T13:08:00.000-08:00

The Krasnals. Big Dwarf

"DO YOU TRUST ANONYMS? / Banksy / from 'The Great Poles' series" 2010.
Oil on a paperboard . 50 x 70 cm

Why you have to be anonymous to be able to say the whole truth?

LADY GAGA in Poland

2010-11-25T12:01:00.001-08:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal
"- How it is?
- It is like this. I'm interested in the condition of contemporary woman./
LADY GAGA in Poland / from the Great Poles series"
2010. Oil on canvas. 41 x 41 cm

(the dialog comes from the titles of exhibitions by Miroslaw Balka in Tate Modern "How it is" and Maciej Maciejowski in National Gallery in Cracow "It's like this")
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Lady Gaga in Poland

2010-11-18T12:30:00.001-08:00

The Krasnals. Big Dwarf "I love Poland / Lady Gaga from 'The Great Poles' series". 2010. Acrylics on canvas. 54 x 65,5 cm

Lady Gaga - concert When:: 11/26/2010
Where:: Hala GdañskGdansk, POLAND

"The Year We Made Contact" (2010) Piotr Uklański - The Krasnals

2010-11-03T04:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the opening of the exhibition of Piotr Uklański and The Krasnals, in the context of the works of Tadeusz Kantor.

Art Station Foundation
Poznan, Poland
Opening at November 4, at 7 pm
November 4 - January 21, 2011

The exhibition will show the installation of Piotr Uklanski, another project created together with The Dwarves. The principal element is a huge textile surface, a tapestry whose style, form of expression and stage quality invoke the recognizable climate of 60s and 70s. An inseparable part of the work is a free-standing round and red painting done by The Dwarves titled "Red Dwarf", inscribed into the field of the aforementioned painting. Both elements make up an inseparable whole that appropriates the space they are located in.

In deciding to execute his work in such a recognizable form and style, Uklański created something that further continues his earlier artistic program. He seeks ever new strata of signification contained in stereotypes, cultural symbols and national myths, such as the latest myth of The Dwarves in contemporary Polish art and politics. In the case of the work "The Year We Made Contact" the artist returns to the version of Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey", when it refers to a memorable first contact of Uklanski with The Dwarves under the slogan "Are you married? You're married? Vote for marriage! ". And the painting "Red Dwarf" in "2010: A Space Odyssey" is nothing but heart of the red star, vitalizing the grey matter. The Reverse 2001 hidden on the other hand with a red circle, though not visible, refer to the threads of memory and history, national symbols which are in the works Uklanski play a key role. Its purpose is to search for new deposits of meaning contained in stereotypes and cultural symbols and myths of national importance such as the latest myth Krasnalach in contemporary Polish art and politics. In the case of "The Year We Made Contact" the artist returns to the version of Kubrick's "2001 A Space Odyssey," when it refers to a memorable first contact with the compound Dwarf Uklańskim under the slogan "Are you married? You're married? Vote for marriage. " "Red Dwarf" in "Space Odyssey 2010" is nothing but life pulsing heart of red stars. The Reverse 2001 hidden on the back side of a red circle, though not visible, refers to the threads of memory and history, national symbols - this case the elections in Poland in 2001 - which play a key role in Uklanski works.

The Dwarves. Big Dwarf
- OBVERSE: "The Year We Made Contact" (2010) / Untitled / Red Dwarf "/ Piotr Uklański - Big Dwarf"
- REVERSE: "The Year We Made Contact" (2001) / "Are you married? You're married? Vote for your marriage! "/ Piotr Uklański - Big Dwarf"
2001/2010. Obverse: Acrylic, reverse: collage; fibreboard. Diameter 52 cm

This work was shown for the first time at this year Whitney Biennial. The New York version of the painting "Untitled / Red Dwarf" was done personally by Uklański (due to excessively high transport costs), while in Poznan will be possible to see the original version performed by The Dwarves, - whole installation purchased by Grażyna Kulczyk to her collection.

Installation at Whitney Biennial “The Year We Made Contact, 2010", “Untitled /Red Dwarf”

Here let us recall a few key stations of Space Odyssey "Piotr Uklański - The Krasnals":
1. In mid-2008 Piotr Uklański buys from The Krasnals two paintings one with his portrait, and another refering to his exhibition, "White-Red". However The Krasnals changed his famous fist to the fig sign (meaning no way), and it became the logo of The Dwarves.

The Dwarves "Polska - Biało-Czerwoni, Ole! / Piotr Uklański". 2008. Oil on canvas. 50 x 70 cm

The Dwarves "Uklanski fist" . 2008. Oil on canvas. 65 x 80 cm

2. Uklański prints the painting of The Big Dwarf instead of his traditional photo in the Art Now! Vol.3, Page 480 (Taschen)
http://www.taschen.com/lookinside/04431/index.htm

3. The same image of The Big Dwarf placed in the central part of the Uklanski installation at the exhibition "Pop Life" at the Tate Modern in 2009

Info on artnewsday.org :
http://artnewsday.org/aggregator/sources/464
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I could live in Africa 3 / Belarus

2010-10-27T03:49:00.001-07:00

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The third part of The Krasnals participation in the exhibition
"I could live in Africa"

"Russian Roulette / Belarus 2009"
- MoMA Warsaw
24 July - 19 September 2010
- Witte de With CCA, Rotterdam
February 20, 2010 - April 25, 2010
- „Russian Roulette / Belarus 2009” Gorky Park Minsk; June 2009.

A series of paintings "Russian Roulette / Belarus 2009" was created on the basis of photographs documenting a secret exhibition of The Krasnals in Gorky Park in Minsk in June 2009.

The Krasnals initiated in Minsk a unique sculpture park. The works have been camouflaged in such a way not to provoke the authorities, they made the impression as they were objects naturally placed in the environment. Their meaning could be easily read "between the lines" in which people of Belarus are exercised to perfection.
The main, central object was the installation of 'Mannequins without heads ", referring directly to the Lukashenko government policy, providing complete control over its citizens. To make the camouflage, mannequins were placed on the roof of the car, in the usual manner, as they were part of a clothes stall.

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Belarusian Mannequins / Belarus 2009 ". 2009. Oil on canvas. 40 x 53 cm

On one of the trees we hung a "ban on parking and stopping." It suggested that here in the circle of art, it is absolutely forbidden to stop even for a moment by citizens of Belarus. It is a dangerous area, and the proper process of citizens brainwashing can be disturbed.

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Ban on parking and stopping / Belarus 2009". 2009. Photography, limited edition 1/10. 70 x 100 cm

A few steps next to it there was a "beautiful prison". It was symbolized by the very aesthetic piece, originally designed decorative grid, which was a part of the fence at the small pavilion trade. Pavilion, with a red Coca-Cola advertising, however, was a perverse symbol of the triumph of capitalism.

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Nice prison / Belarus 2009 ". 2009. Photography, limited edition 1/10. 70 x 100 cm

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Belarusian Coca-cola / Belarus 2009 ". 2009. Oil on canvas. 40 x 53 cm

The entire park, which was the secret territory of art, was at a specific place, next to the former casino. When you raised the sight, you could see the old neon sign that says "Kazino. Black ominous circles of the former windows reminded us, that willy-nilly all is ruled here by the Russian Roulette.

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Belarusian casino. Belarusian casino. Russian Roulette / eyeholes / Belarus 2009 ". 2009. Oil on canvas. 40 x 53 cm

When we were invited to the exhibition in MoMA in Warsaw and CCA Witte de With in Rotterdam, we found that the best scene to recreate the atmosphere of the 80's in Poland in an exotic way due to the curator's vision, would be to find ourselves in the present situation of Belarus.
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Obituary of the dissident Liu Xiaobo / Coffin portrait

2010-10-14T12:44:00.001-07:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Obituary of the dissident Liu Xiaobo / Coffin portrait". 2010. Oil on canvas. 33 x 43 cm

Liu Xiaobo is a Chinese intellectual, writer, and human rights activist and a political prisoner in China.
During his 4th prison term, he was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, for "his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.

Upon hearing about Liu's nomination for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, the Chinese foreign ministry warned the Nobel committee not to give Liu the prize, as they said that it would be against Nobel principles.^[51] On 8 October 2010 the Nobel Committee awarded Liu the Prize "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China".^[52] The Norwegian Nobel Committee president Thorbjørn Jagland said the choice of Liu as the recipient of the prize had become clear early on in the process.^[51]

A banquet to honor Liu Xiaobo for winning the Nobel Peace Prize by 20 plus Chinese netizens, human right lawyers, and academics was abruptly broken up by Beijing police.^[61] Other meetings to commemorate the award were prevented by authorities; prominent intellectuals and other dissidents were detained, harassed or put under surveillance.^[62]

There were messages of congratulations from the world’s leaders, who called on China to reform its political, legal systems and its constitution and to release Liu. President Ma Ying-jeou of the Republic of China,^[63] He also urges Beijing government to free Liu Xiaobo and put forward political reform. ^[64]European Commission president José Manuel Barroso,^[65] The British Foreign Secretary William Hague,^[65] U.S. President Barack Obama,^[66] and the Dalai Lama were among those who praised the decision, and called for Liu's release.^[67]

There was also solidarity with the Chinese view by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.^[68]

Following the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize, Liu's wife, Liu Xia, was placed under house arrest.^[69] According to Freedom Now, she has not been charged with any offence.^[70]

The system of production of Polish classics

2010-10-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

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The world of contemporary Polish art establishment in a nutshell
Once the evil scandalists, today new classics— 'the system of production of Polish classics'
Stach Szablowski
from Przekrój, 5 października 2010-10-09
edited by The Krasnals

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "The Pink World of Wards / by Tuymans". 2008. Oil on canvas. 74 x 84 cm

CLASSIC—a celebrity of Polish contemporary art, art establishment's sweetheart. Their artworks are pure marketing products, mostly without any artistic value, created solely for the purpose of making money. Never has mainstream art been commercial to that extent. This is why being a classic in these circumstances is so negative and is associated with shame, speculation, corruption, the breaking of ethical standards and artistic responsibility.
Who will become a classic is decided by subtle agreements between collectors, private galleries, museum directors and curators. The society has no influence. One can become a clasic only through the right promotion, as opposed to the 'old times', when the artist had to meet the nation's needs.

Whielki Krasnal "Dream Factory". 2008. Oil on canvas. 110 x 110 cm

Who is the new art classic? Statistically, he is in his forties, probably studied in the so called 'Kowalnia'—Grzegorz Kowalski's workshop at the Warsaw Art Academy; today he cooperates with Foksal Gallery Foundation.
His artwork is in the collection of London Tate Modern and/or New York's MoMA. He uses non-classical forms. He migh even paint or sculpt something, but he'd rather not— he prefers something less time-consuming and records amateur movies or creates so-called projects, which means virtually anything, because the amount of money for a classic's project is endless; from pseudo-scientific experiments, through toy production to erecting complicated structures and organizing extravagant journeys.
He has presented naturalistic naked bodies, often in groups. He mentions issues that are hot in the western world—teh Holocaust, problems of the handicapped and excluded.

The Krasnals. Krasnal Hałabała 2 „Shower for Jews made by Polish classics”. 2009. Oil on canvas

The classic has to officially be a leftie, criticize the government—literally and in a broader sense—the power of capitalism and tradition. At the same time (which is logical) the new classic is the government's associate, sweetheart and ass kisser. What follows, he enoys a good position on the art market, is supported by public cultural intitutions corrupt with FGF. Thus it is a natural consequence, he exhibits in galleries like Zachęta or CSW Zamek Ujazdowski. The smae institutions decide, which classics will represent Poland abroad. The statistical new classic had a show in the Polish pavillon at the Venice Biennale or was very close to it. The status of a classic is acquired through subtle agreements between collectors, private galleries, museum directors and curators. The society has no influence. One can become a clasic only through the right promotion, as opposed to the 'old times', when the artist had to meet the nation's needs.

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal „Our dream Zoo - acc. Project 'Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw by Christian Kerez' / let's build our own museum, right now, for your money / from the Animal Planet series. " 2009. Oil on canvas. 33 x 38 cm

Of course the key role here is played by the artificial authority and power of institutions, which define patterns of contemporary art in a practical and ruthless way. These manipulations result for instance in the fact, that when watching particular artists in galleries, or when they receive prizes and achive world success, we get used to these patterns of contemporary art, even though a while ago they seemed worthless. The audience, standing in front of hard facts, has to consume this 'art' and pay for what is given to them.

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal „Applied social art /New Wonderful World of Artur Żmijewski / Ordway Prize. 2010. Mixed media - collage, photocopy, acrylic on cardboard carton. 50 x 59 cm

Artur Żmijewski, the author of "Social arts in use", declares the need for art as the production of socially useful knowledge, asks for verifying the political usefulness of art (...) He sees art as the space of real action, performs pseudo-scentific experiments, creates models of social change and checks their effectivity in front of the camera. He managed to achieve much, the only nuance is, that practical change, the 'brave new world' so far exist only for him. With his art, he never changed any of his movie's protagonist's lives, it is not even in the slightest way useful for the society or the groups which he talks about so much in his manifest. Despite this nuance, serious discussion about art cannot take place without asking for his opinion.

Right now, we are witnessing the next nominations. End of September it was announced, that Artur Zmijewski has become the curator of the upcoming, seventh Berlin Biennale in 2012. And that's good, because a new hyper-promotion of artists with access to the 'resources' will be financed. It is one of the main, most important artistic events in the world of visual arts. And in November Katarzyna Kozyra opens a retrospectoive show in Zachęta. It is the natural consequence of the fact, that her Italian boyfriend (good to know where to look for love...), an important player for FGF in the game on the western market—has become the new president of CSW Zamek Ujazdowski.

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "The Animal Pyramid / based on the work of Katarzyna Kozyra". 2008. Oil on canvas. 92 x 65 cm

Let's cite Katarzyna Kozyra: "When I started in the 90's, I thought: who will show these works, not to mention I never thought of them as products for sale. Emotions invested in "Pyramid", "Olimpia", "Więzy krwi" and others, turned out to be exchangeable for money, success, shows." In art, the erotic aspect always played a major role. Katarzyna Kozyra followed the footsteps of Tamara Lempicka, though not exactly: Kozyra hit once, but hit well. There are different faces of Polish prostitution abroad. From brutal standing under a streetlight, to more subtle forms, e.g. the famous nazi Uklanski, with his curator from teh Guggenheim Museum NY—Alisoon Gingeras.

We are forced to look at the new classics as the representatives of the mainstream art, what is more—under the wings of the government, consequently promoted and financed—against our will. We can also notice the triumph of certain private circles that used the cultural chaos of III RP. Althamer, Żmijewski and Sasnal are artists connected with Galeria Foksal Foundation, the most influential and opinion-setting, western-establishment-dependent, Polish art institution. It's co-founder Joanna Mytkowskais teh director of (still under construction) Museum of Modern Art with an enormous budget to use for promoting artists from their own 'stable' or for barter purposes with western players. Mirosław Bałka also closely cooperates with the Foundation. This social circle intersects with Kowalnia. Kowalnia's alumni are Kozyra, Althamer, Żmijewski. Everything stews in it's own juice, in the warmth of institutional seats, signing decisions whom and what to finance.

The Krasnals, Whielki Krasnal "ATTENTION! Polish golden carpet bombing on Brussels! / Pawel Althamer. 2009. Acrylic, pencil on hardboard. 44 x 80 cm

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Big $asnal". 2008. Oil on canvas. 46 x 38 cm

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "How it is". 2010. Oil on hardboard.
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text about The Krasnals from the new catalogue

2010-10-08T02:34:00.001-07:00

THE GHREAT MYSTERY: DWARFS DO EXIST.

The following text has been written for The Krasnals’ exhibition titled Two Years of Struggle at Szyperska Gallery in Poznań. The occasion to organize it is the two and a half years of the group’s existence: from April 2008, the time the collective was started, it has been their second individual and non-virtual show in Poland (the first one, Last Supper – Brothers in Arms, 2009, took place in Skwer gallery, a branch of the Fabryka Trzciny Art Centre). The main area of The Krasnals’ activity is virtual space, regarded by them as the most democratic for the functioning of art. Since 25 March 2008 the anonymous collective has run a blog (http://TheKrasnals-pl.blogspot.com; English version www.TheKrasnals.blogspot.com).

The Krasnals touch upon the issues that have always been present in the field of art: the relations of power, knowledge, interests connected with art production, criteria of evaluation, the audience’s level of awareness, some artists’ success and other’s failure to receive appreciation as well as rivalry among artists. The Krasnals, however, make these problems controversial, as they openly pick up on the contemporary artistic system, which some people consider very uncomfortable, tasteless or unfunny. Most of their works is a critique of a local artistic metabolism, including art market, state subsidies, art competitions, awards, artistic criticism, trends and scandals. By means of painting, video, events, manifestos, verbal commentaries on pictures and modifications of broad cultural texts, in the form of thought-provoking play The Krasnals analyze aspects of economy, politics and a special kind of economy of artistic system. The general message of their work is the dominant role of the art market and the laws that regulate it. It seems, however, that the subversive politics of the group is mainly directed against the hypocrisy of today’s artistic scene and promoting people whose talent remains uncritical of today’s fashionable worldviews.

The Krasnals themselves bear characteristics of an excellent artistic product. But doesn’t the art market (incidentally, a good metaphor of an ‘inflated bubble’ of the international art market was proposed by a BBC documentary The Great Contemporary Art Bubble, 2009) still has little distance towards its own figures to appreciate their efforts? The group presents the part of Polish art pampered in the West as an ugly poop excreted at the cost of artistic independence and simplification of the image of Poland and Polish society. What is more, The Krasnals deftly employ the strategies of the system they criticize. Despite the particular irony which allows them to observe it from the outside and the selected strategies enabling them to push its walls from the inside, the products of the ephemeral, litter-like production line have already fell victim to speculation! A case in point is the joke in spring 2008: a counterfeit Sasnal was valued by the Christie’s auction house at 70 thousand pounds. After they became aware of the scam the painting was returned. Warhol’s words “Art is Money. Big Art is Big Money” are evoked by The Krasnals’s works as a terrific, corny comedy with Polish main characters. Following the quotation, not only do they expose the mechanisms (of marketing, mercantilism, ideology, politics) behind the process of art production, but also jack them up, blow up, calibrate. Obviously, it works both ways and results in an intentional or unintentional promo-criticism. Can one really reconcile the following consequence: the artwork written with the capital and noble “A” is driven by instincts, insatiability and “littleness”, but dwarfs [The Krasnals can be translated as The Dwarfs – transl.] can be rich Robin Hoods? Let us remember they also offer their paintings to charity. The relationship art -financial success and failure - social sensitivity needs to be thought over because there are a few possible configurations. The phenomenon of The Krasnals consists in their covering their tracks and it is difficult to say anything about them for sure.

The Krasnals’ specifically political and committed attitude as an informal group of activists which, via looking at reality from alternative angles, demands a more transparent vision of reality, is considered in the context of historical anarchistic and revolutionary movements such as the Dutch Kabouter party, founded in Amsterdam as a continuation of Provo movement (1965-67) or the active in Poland in the 1980s anticommunist Orange Alternative, with dwarfs as its symbol.
To understand the Krasnals' disappointment with contemporary artistic scene one needs to situate them in the context of the aforementioned artistic system in Poland, including the element of art market, distribution of authorities on art and the role an artist plays in this system nowadays. After 1989 – no matter how symbolic this date is – began the processes of democratization of the sphere of art which had been nationalized at the time of the People's Republic of Poland and the gradual emergence of art market, which required the artist to act as a businessman. One of the aims of The Krasnals' protest is the concentration of authorities by exhibiting institutions in the capital and the predominance of a situation when what makes an artist an artist is a connection with a given gallery, and art criticism loses its critical edge to trend-promoting, promotion of NON-creative projects, interesting individualities and attitudes but curatorial decisions NOT motivated by fine ideas but, for example financial relations. Moreover, in their parodic works the group often undermines the monopolization of the art critical opinion-forming authority and the authority of art academies which, according to The Krasnals, are tainted with stale ideas. Sensitive to contemporary signs of the legacy of communism as well as to the phenomenon of corporationism in art and the art system, The Krasnals' work can be considered a continuation of critical art, which in 1990s focused on the exposing the mechanisms of consumer society.

The situation represented by The Krasnals is neutralized or even nullified by the revolutionary potential in art. At the exhibition Two Years of Struggle, the title alluding to Wilhelm Sasnal's retrospective in Warsaw Years of Struggle (2007), one can see both paintings critical of the art system and art market as well as many works from the subversive project Revolutions for Morons (2008), in which the group actualizes the issue of revolution. In these pictures The Krasnals represented the figures related to historical revolutions, images of March 1968, tanks, fluorescent vans, bombs, cruisers, the revolutionary cannon fodder, sexual excesses etc. One can hardly omit to notice that these are also, and perhaps most importantly, various images of experiments on the rebellious imagination of the Objects that create them. The exhibition constitutes a certain whole, complemented by the series Cheap Sasnals from China alluding to cheap Chinese products and Ghreat Poles. The visitors will also have a chance to watch two videos devoted to the subject of revolution: about a young Chinese reading Chinese translation of Pan Tadeusz and a Krasnal trying to topple the Great Wall of China.

The KRASNALS: TWO YEARS OF STRUGGLE
Galeria Szyperska, Poznań
The exhibition organized as a part of Mediations Biennale 2010
11 September- 10 October 2010

It has been more than years since the collective of anonymous artists, The Krasnals, has been active on the Polish artistic scene. On this occasion Szyperska Gallery organized the exhibition “Two Years of Struggle”. The group’s work mainly consists of painting, video, actions and word. It`s activity is of artistic, political and social importance, but mainly it concentrates on commenting current events, being a critique of the art market and the ideologies accompanying art production. The Krasnals employ the strategy of culture jamming. In a radical and ironic way they expose manipulation and hypocrisy: an artist, to make it in the so-called artworld or mainstream, sacrifices his/her independence and becomes a mouthpiece for catchy, conformist ideas and a creator of hot, easily marketable topics. Interestingly enough, pictures by The Krasnals are not respected by some critics because of their political and not painterly character, which is a sign of the misunderstanding of the meaning of their work. The exhibition will focus on this issue. It will include paintings form Revolutions for Morons project which constitute an interesting artistic proposition with a subversive, political meaning; Cheap Sasnals from China relate to the cheap, poorly painted works presenting much worse quality than the original. There will be also two videos at the exhibition on subject of revolution, which the group has been lately exploring: a young Chinese reading Pan Tadeusz in Chinese and a kransal trying to topple the Great Wall of China. The exhibition poses a question of current need, possibility and meaning of revolution in art.

Curator: Ewelina Jarosz

The Krasnals on Two Years of Struggle show

Why is our work considered harmful? “How to finally finish them off? I cannot see a better way than to give them Polityka “Passport” award – respected critics say. Well, we alter certain status quo: “we influence choices of the conservative middle-class that critics wish to influence too. And this is not only a business issue. Neither does it concern the transformation of social image of art. The aforementioned critics surely do not want to put those who demand art as a source of the “real sublime” right. This unenlightened middle class should rather get interested in for instance Wilhelm Sasnal’s work so as to, while dealing with his painting, become ideologically enlightened as a consequence of the sublime experience; indeed, Sasnal is a painter of clear leftist views. Then they will become the enlightened middle class. After all, presently no one can have appropriate views. Unless one is a total moron”. The exhibition will show you how hard-working artists The Krasnals are. We titled it: Two Years of Struggle. We believe it is funny. But this is not only a joke as we are concerned about the image of a committed artist, who is always after something in his/her painting.
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The Krasnals Voice at 4th ASEM Culture Ministers Meeting in Poznań

2010-09-21T05:22:00.000-07:00

Below there is the necessary supplementary information for ASEM Culture Ministers Meeting - from contestation art circles, which in Poland are represented by The Krasnals art collective.

As The Krasnals art collective we are convinced that the 4th ASEM Culture Ministers Meeting in Poznań contributes significantly to a strengthening of cultural awareness among the societies of the 45 parties who participate in the dialogue of European Union and Southeast Asia. We also hope it will inspire the dialogue and the transfer of knowledge and practices, which, in turn will lead to mutual undertakings to defend and protect the cultural treasury form the threats of the contemporary art market.

There are dangers arising from the social transformations accompanying processes of globalization of high culture, especially contemporary art. We urge you to pay attention to the problem that in an interview the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bogdan Zdrojewski summoned. He noted that "the basic problem that now affects an area of culture in Europe and Asia (and elsewhere), is that of globalization and the flood of low quality of art as the result of interests of a narrow group of art establishment monopolizing the art market."

In the Polish Culture Minister opinion, there is vagueness and commercialization of the mainstream art, including the Polish one following global trends. So far, a certain originality and individuality, taste and style, was the domain of art. Gradually it meets with deprivation of colourfulness and multidimensionality.

One of the problems that worry us is increasingly emerging question about the need for a biennial basis. Or maybe there is a need to develop a new formula of presenting art rebelling against global trends? The activity of our collective follows the main concept of Mediations Biennale in Poznan, which this year is "Beyond" - "beyond the official, mainstream art, and an official language about it." It should be seriously initiated the debate and critic of art market sphere. We should begin to talk about prevailing of divisions, manipulation, and those unclear rules governing the art world, to reconcile its democratic ideals.

Biennale has become one of the most common and effective ways of showing art in the world. International Biennale is not just an exhibition, but mobile capital and art museum all in one. So, the question is, if an international biennial is necessary for the presence of art created locally in a transnational context? If so, what shape the Polish Biennale should take? Should the local tradition be an important element in building an international biennial? What are the consequences of thinking in terms of the presenting biennale of art - and whether it acts in favor of or against the local tradition?

The exhibition of The Krasnals "Two years of fighting" gives complete answers to these questions. It is situated in one of three main bastions of Mediations Biennial - at Szyperska Gallery (till October 10 2010).

WTC 9/11 anniversary - The Krasnals project from 2009

2010-09-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal „New York – WTC 2011 / urban projects series”. 2009. Acrylic, spray, on canvas. 40 x 53 cm

This year’s anniversary of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks promises to be the most political and contentious ever, because of a proposed Islamic center and mosque near ground zero, and a Florida pastor’s plan to burn the Quran.

A year ago, The Krasnals group created the prognostication of this situation, as they painted New York with minaret on the ground zero.
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Super Team The Krasnals on Mediations Biennale 2010

2010-09-06T02:31:00.000-07:00

Super Team The Krasnals on Mediations Biennale 2010 - on the invitation of Japanese curator Tsutomu Mizusawa.
The biggest contemporary art biennale in Poland

The KRASNALS: TWO YEARS OF STRUGGLE
Galeria Szyperska, Poznań / 11.09.-10.10. 2010
Curator: Ewelina Jarosz

http://www.mediations.pl/The_KRASNALS_TWO_YEARS_OF_FIGHT-354

The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama
http://www.moma.pref.kanagawa.jp/en/museum/index.html

A brief history of our participation in the Biennale:

Well, in early spring we got an invitation from the main curator of the exhibition at the Biennale - Beyond Mediations - Mizusawa Tsutomu (Yokohama Triennial Director Deputy Director of MOMA in Kamakura and Hayama in Japan) to participate in the exhibition. Curator in the mail shed light on the situation in which he discovered that our position in the Polish art world and negative attitude of the majority of the representatives of the mainstream, are a key example and an essential link for the overall design concept of the exhibition. He suggested that we prepare a big presentation as a separate exhibition at the Gallery Szyperska, and the whole concept of care has a curator Ewelina Jarosz. The exhibition's title "Two years of struggle" describes our current point where we are, as we fight for the abolition of barriers and creating equal opportunities for all artists - from the BEYOND position.

The intention of the Japanese curator of the title “Beyond” is intended to mean that only art can bridge gaps that exist between people. Because sometimes the gaps may reach too far to be mediated by any means. Our case shows that such gaps also exist in the art, among the builders, the initiators of the construction of bridges.
Tsutomu Mizusawa also was interested in our project carried out in China. Zone of the art market has highlighted the existing divisions of social class, and the sincere, close contact with the Chinese artist, the contractor of a series of Sasnal copies, was only a quickly passing by moment.
Continuing the tradition of officially brotherly nations, the Chinese artist, has painted for us a few images of Great Poles - Copernicus, Chopin, Mickiewicz. At first glance, they highlight the relationship, friendship, brotherhood and a common dialogue of cultures of our countries. Under portraits appear Chinese signatures of Polish heroes. These characters are somehow important and known generally for Chinese people. But for the Chinese artist, their faces are anonymous and the only value is a possibility to earn a few cents on painting the portraits.

The Chinese series of copies of Sasnal paintings and a series of Chinese Great Poles are a separate presentation at the Biennale.
Tsutomu Mizusawa explains that Without doubt, art is the most sophisticated cultural medium created by human, and only art will be able to lead us beyond the distance. Our Chinese project is following exactely this idea. And its culmination is a video, during which the Dwarf is trying to overthrow the Great Chinese Wall. Video is also presented in the second part of the biennial - "Ereased Walls". Once again it shows the gap and the difference between the ability to overthrow some walls and impossibility to move others. At this show there is much talk about the effects of the overthrow of the Berlin wall 20 years ago, which was dividing Europe. It is the reason for pride and joy, however, it is far to the dream of freedom and equal opportunities for all. Finally, the overthrow of the wall is not the end of the divisions, but the beginning - of building bridges.

During the opening The Krasnals will take a speech and present the current statement. After that will make a performance which is to highlight the place of the contemporary artist, who found himself unexpectedly in the area BEYOND.

We kindly invite you to the official opening!
Saturday, September 11, at 1:00 pm

The KRASNALS: TWO YEARS OF STRUGGLE
Galeria Szyperska, Szyperska 2 Street, Poznań / 11.09.-10.10. 2010
Curator: Ewelina Jarosz

It has been more than years since the collective of anonymous artists, The Krasnals, has been active on the Polish artistic scene. On this occasion Szyperska Gallery organized the exhibition “Two Years of Struggle”. The group’s work mainly consists of painting, video, actions and word. It`s activity is of artistic, political and social importance, but mainly it concentrates on commenting current events, being a critique of the art market and the ideologies accompanying art production. The Krasnals employ the strategy of culture jamming. In a radical and ironic way they expose manipulation and hypocrisy: an artist, to make it in the so-called artworld or mainstream, sacrifices his/her independence and becomes a mouthpiece for catchy, conformist ideas and a creator of hot, easily marketable topics. Interestingly enough, pictures by The Krasnals are not respected by some critics because of their political and not painterly character, which is a sign of the misunderstanding of the meaning of their work.

The Krasnals. Chinese painter "Cheap Sasnals from China" 2008. Acrylic on canvas. 9 pieces, unlimited number of possible copies, all very cheap.

For example, the first image has important background - the Sasnal original version shows TV factory straight from the PRL, communistic Polish reality. This subject is rather historical and obsolete in the current reality, but very current for the situation in China. On the picture, Chinese painter even instinctively painted slanting eyes of factory workers.

The Krasnals. Chinese painter "Great Poles/ Adam Mickiewicz / Fryderyk Chopin / Mikołaj Kopernik" 2008. Acrylic on canvas

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Fighting for the cross at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw

2010-08-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

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SURREALISTIC PAINTING - "Dream caused by Flight of the Tupolev around the Presidential Palace in Warsaw a Second Before Awakening / Portrait of Ordinary Pole - Great Poles series."

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Dream caused by Flight of the Tupolev around the Presidential Palace in Warsaw a Second Before Awakening / Portrait of Ordinary Pole - Great Poles series." 2010. Oil on canvas. 70 x 50 cm

The soul of the marionette is a wooden cross, with strings attached. Animator, depending on the presentation of the concept may be visible, or the contrary. Marionette is manipulated from platform located above the stage, the animator is often dressed in a black costume. Then on a black background only moving doll can be seen . It is often used during playing obscene, street scenes.
In our times Polish people demand longer and longer and more complex shows. It presents, therefore, like nowhere else in the world, the serial presentations of marionettes lasting for days and nights ...

Salvador Dali "Christ of Saint John of the Cross" 1951. Oil on canvas. 205 cm × 116 cm (fragment)

Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus) (Corpus Hypercubus ou Crucifixion) 1954, by Salvador Dali, Oil on canvas 194.5 x 124cm

Salvador Dali "Crucifixion - Christ of Gala"
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The Krasnals participation in "I could live in Africa" MoMA Warsaw and Rotterdam’s Witte de With

2010-08-09T02:32:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals participating in the group exhibition:
"I could live in Africa"
Witte de With CCA, Rotterdam
February 20, 2010 - April 25, 2010

and
Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
July 24 - September 19, 2010
Curated by Michał Wolinski, in collaboration with Nicolaus Schafhausen and Anne-Claire Schmitz

The exhibition offers a compelling image of the Polish art scene of the 1980s as a constellation of collectives and practices that emerged throughout the decade, propelled by the ever stronger grip of the authorities on publishing, recording and information circulation.
All of The Krasnals paintings selected for "I could live in Africa" exhibition were created as the part of the project "Revolutions not for cretins" ( http://revolution-thekrasnals.blogspot.com/ ) and are the youngest art generation tribute to that period of Polish history.

Joanna Mytkowska, the director of Warsaw MoMa speaks about The Krasnals paintings:
"Perhaps the lack of pathos, not emphasizes the uniqueness of the time, but they were able to capture the spirit of freedom and rebellion, which is also part of that history. It is understandable to Western audiences and for the younger generation."

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Joanna Mytkowska - 'I could live in Africa' – but here in Poland I get more Money, than bananas in Africa. / Monkey with white banana – from the series Animal Planet, Great Poles and Great Dictators." 2010. Oil on canvas. 55 x 46 cm

Whielki Krasnal “Untitled (Group of Monkeys with White Bananas)” . 2004. Oil on canvas. 50 x 50 cm
This painting became the sympol of art market and art corporation criticism.
Auction house Christie’s estimated this piece at 50-70,000 GBP. The work is refering to the painting of Wilhelm Sasnal “Untitled (Group of Monkeys with White Margins)”. The provocation of The Krasnals uncovered the art market mechanisms and ridiculous schematic thinking of art professionals.
Monkeys and bananas are not really so exotic. They function perfectly in all periods of time. Of course both in 80-s as well as today in contemporary art world era.

The Krasnals: Object 1,2,3,4 "Stampede / The world withoud wars". 2008. Oil, spray on canvas. 70 x 100 cm

The Krasnals: Object 1 "But we wanted to fuck a corpse." 2008. Oil on canvas. 54 x 65 cm

Object 2 "Freedom!" 2008. Oil on canvas. 70 x 100 cm

The Krasnals: Object 1 "Long live the ball! / Fight for soft pricks / Mikhail Gorbachev / from the series 'circus on wheels' and 'Great Poles'." 2008. Oil on canvas. 60 x 90 cm

The Krasnals: Object 1,2,3,4 "Fight for soft pricks / from the series' Circus on wheels' / the series' World without wars '." 2008. Art object participating in performance.

The Krasnals: Object 4 "I am a virgin." 2008. Oil on canvas. 60 x 50 cm

The Krasnals: Object 1 "Luncheon meat / 1". 2008. Oil on canvas. 50 x 73 cm

The Krasnals: Object 1 "Lacan's lamella". 2008. Oil on canvas. 116 x 160 cm

The Krasnals: Object 1,2,3,4 "Fight for soft pricks / from the series' Circus on wheels' / the series' World without wars '." 2008. Performance.
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Postcard from Greece

2010-08-02T23:12:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals. Sleeping Beauty "Aqualand. Greece 2010". 2010. Acrylics on canvas. 70 x 80 cm

The Krasnals. Krasnal Hałabała "Aqualand. Greece 2010". 2010. Art object

We are on the Greek island of Thassos. Stink, filth, lack of fuel ... three days we can't get out, and Aquaparks is empty ... great!

We have imposed a frame memory of Ciechocinek and Thassos, for example, the square in front of the small hotel Sagapo, where we live. And a frame: a postcard, which we found at the white house in the village of Limenas. There was a impressing Aquapark. Underneath the inscription: "Greetings from Thassos." It made an impression on us. It looked like it was printed in Poland, somewhere in the 80s

Keywords: Greece, crisis, strikes, fuel, Rajkowska, Budny.
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Why to make such a mess - Duisburg Love Parade

2010-07-30T04:15:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals. Krasnal Hałabała „Why to make such a mess?”. 2010. Oil on canvas. 50 x 70 cm

The painting was created after our visiting the exhibition Ars Homo Erotica in National Gallery in Warsaw, after Euro Pride in Warsaw and Love Parade in Duisburg.
19 people died at the Love Parade music festival in Germany when they were crushed inside a tunnel during a stampede caused by panic.

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Duisburg 24.07.2010 - Stampede of last Love Parade Festival - 19 killed

Bronisław Komorowski - new president of Poland

2010-07-29T05:51:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Object of our contemplation / Bronisław Komorowski, from the series Great Poles". 2010. Oil on canvas. 40 x 60 cm
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Letter from Gilbert & George to The Krasnals

2010-05-11T03:05:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals "Church of England by Gilberta & George, in the mail role Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft". 2009. Mixed media on canvas. 270 x 120 cm

On Friday, the day after the Conservatives won the general elections in Britain, we have received by mail a letter from Gilbert & George. Previously, we sent them the photo of our painting "Church of England by Gilbert & George, starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft" - from the "Brothers In Arms" project presented in December at the exhibition in Warsaw. We referred by this image to the exhibition of Gilbert & George 'FREAK JACK PICTURES' in Mason's Yard in 2009. Works of these artists approach to fundamental questions about religion, identity, politics, economics, sexuality and death. The dominant elements in our work - as in the paintings of G & G - is the British flag (Union Jack), and profiles of artists. Centrally above them stretches crucified Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. She dethroned Jesus, the main character of the image "The Chuch of England." Artists represent the British flag in the company of Jesus as an oddity, as they are against organized religion. So we suggested to put in the image another disobliging company, British hero - Lara Croft - regarded by the British as the queen of sex. She is also nice, friendly and energetic.
Thank you G & G for the nice letter to us, we are highly appreciated.

And this is the letter from Gilberta & George:

Dear The Krasnals,

Thank you for sending us your picture. We are pleased that our work reaches to the young artists in Poland, and of course that you are interested in our images. We are impressed with your version of The Church of England with Lara Croft in the main role. Indeed this truly connects contemporary fashion and the national pride of the British. At least in the opinion of the majority of the British, Angelina Jolie is one of the biggest sex symbols ever. We like being at the foot of Lara. We like such funny absurdity and as well it matches our Jack Freak Pictures.Your making of jokes to the world of the art, especially left-wing followers and promoters, makes us laugh. We are annoyed by the artistic community pushing its artists to the left-wing, discriminating against all signs of conservatism. We have always been conservative, staying in opposition to collectivism.

We wish you good luck with your future projects, a lot of laughs and a feeling of freedom from the art world and its love of falling into patterns.

Gilbert & George

The Krasnals "Church of England by Gilberta & George, in the mail role Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft". 2009. Mixed media on canvas. 270 x 120 cm

Gilbert and George, CHURCH OF ENGLAND, 2008, 9 panels, mixed media, 226 x 190 cm
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from today The Krasnals in 'Tribes of Poznań' - by Ewa Łowżył

2010-04-30T04:24:00.001-07:00

Ewa Łowżył, project 'Tribes', Krasnal
portrait of Whielki Krasnal

Ewa Łowżył, project 'Tribes', Krasnal
portrait of Krasnal Bansky

"Tribes Poznań"
http://www.plemiona-poznan.pl/
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WALPAPIER number 13 THE KRASNALS

2010-04-30T04:17:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mik_krakow/4538501133/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HLMx4dw2Mg

Ash prevents leaders attending Polish funeral 18.04.2010. Great absent

2010-04-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnals "Foreign excursion to Wawel 18.04.2010. Great absent". 2010. Oil on canvas. 215 x 198 cm

A thick cloud of volcanic ash hovering above Europe prevented foreign leaders from flying to Poland on Sunday 18th at the funeral of Lech Kachinsky. Big pompous funeral took place without so many important guests. And Poland lost it's chance for a while of glory because of the ash...

Wisława Szymborska:
Komsomolskaya bright sun irradiates the whole world
Poland sends greetings today
to all the young people of the Soviet state

Margaret Thatcher:
- It is a great night. It is the end of Socialism. Don't allow tyrants and aggressors to get away with it.

Nicolas Sarkozy:
- If living in France bothers some people, they should feel free to leave the country. I would like to see polar bears in Poland.

Osama bin Laden
- Thanks God for enabling me to do so!

Shimon Peres:
- Israel's economy is flourishing. Israeli business people are investing everywhere in the world. Israel has unprecedented economic success. By today, we have won economic independence and are buying up Manhattan, Poland and Hungary. I don't have to lose my time going to Poland now.

Yulia Tymoshenko and Victor Yushchenko:
- Obama and Merkel will not come... But at least will write about us at all Polish newspapers.

Barack Obama:
- I have a special tool for the dirt, but... A thick cloud of volcanic ash hovering above Europe will ground Air Force One this weekend, preventing me from flying late Saturday night to Poland.

Angela Merkel:
- hmm… I just came back from the nuclear summit in America... A process has been set in motion which will seek to contain one of the more perilous hazards of the 21st century, namely, the threat of nuclear fuel falling into the hands of terrorists... I wish I could rest a bit.

Yasser Arafat:
- Are you asking me while I am under complete siege?

Jose Barroso:
- As president, he had enormous challenges and difficult mandates, but he certainly brought East and West closer together and helped replace confrontation by cooperation.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen
- That's what it's like when people have crawled very high up in a tree, then they sometimes need help to get down with ladders and ropes and other instruments.

Dmitry Medvedev
- That means exactly what I said that we have similar values...

Polish president Lech Kaczynski dead in plane crash - the quickest way to the Wawel tombs.

2010-04-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "The only way to get to Wawel for our president". 2010. Oil on canvas. 41 x 60 cm

"There are thin lines which separate tragedy, melodrama, and the grotesque."

"We, the Polish Nation - all citizens of the Republic - we can most beautifuly in the world, in truly Latin-style fall from one extreme to the other. We love to transform "celebrating" to Malysz madness, and mourning into surrealism. Muttering, or sobbing, we swear that now we'll be together and nothing can share us. Then we provoke stupid ostentation, or simply forget about what happened yesterday. Only sociologists enjoy this who made dozens of doctorates, exploring the sensation of Polish national mourning. "

Woody Allen:
I don't want to achieve immortality through my work... I want to achieve it through not dying.

It is impossible to experience one's death objectively and still carry a tune.

More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.

Death doesn't really worry me that much, I'm not frightened about it... I just don't want to be there when it happens.

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnals "Lech Kaczyński". 2009. Oil on canvas

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CV The Krasnals

2010-04-08T01:12:00.000-07:00

Polish art anonymous collective, the "black star" of the Polish art scene. We are mainly interested in contemporary art condition, art market system, artist’s ability to influence or manipulate, art’s dependences with economy, politics and social needs. We approach critically to these matters, and by putting regularly new paintings, texts on our English and Polish blog – we relate to art world’s events on regular basis.

The Krasnals - the anonymous group of artists. The Krasnals in Polish means THE DWARVES.
Sensitive to contemporary signs of the legacy of communism as well as to the phenomenon of corporationism in art and the art system, The Krasnals' work can be considered a continuation of critical art, which in 1990s focused on the exposing the mechanisms of consumer society.

The group actualizes the issue of revolution, poses a question of current need, possibility and meaning of revolution in art.
The group’s work mainly consists of painting, video, actions and word. It`s activity is of artistic, political and social importance, but mainly it concentrates on commenting current events, being a critique of the art market and the ideologies accompanying art production. The Krasnals employ the strategy of culture jamming. In a radical and ironic way they expose manipulation and hypocrisy: an artist, to make it in the so-called artworld or mainstream, sacrifices his/her independence and becomes a mouthpiece for catchy, conformist ideas and a creator of hot, easily marketable topics.

Joanna Mytkowska, the director of Warsaw MoMa speaks about The Krasnals paintings:
"Perhaps the lack of pathos, not emphasizes the uniqueness of the time, but they were able to capture the spirit of freedom and rebellion, which is also part of that history. It is understandable to Western audiences and for the younger generation."

Main events from April 2008:

2008
April/May - Christie's provocation with the painting of Whielki Krasnal “Untitled (Group of Monkeys with White Bananas)”. 2004. Oil on canvas. 50 x 50 cm; which was estimated (by mistake, or just automatically) at 70.000 GBP
June - The Krasnals were present at The 5th Berlin Biennale, where they provoked viewers and curator Adam Szymczyk to take part at the performance.
August - Whielki Krasnal was invited to Beijing in China to take part at the exhibition 'Olympic Fine Arts 2008'. The Krasnals went to Beijing to get their own impression over the ambiguity of Olympic Games. They fulfilled the series of works over this subject. Besides they started there to work over the projects touching the ‘China – Poland relations’, as well as other referring to the increasing role of China in contemporary art, culture, economy, etc.
August/September
_ The Krasnals in Kislovodsk – realization of the project referring to the death of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Soviet consequences in Russian social life. The Krasnals talked with and painted former communistic activists, who fulfilled themselves in the field of culture.
- The Krasnals present In Georgia - realization of the project referring to the Russian – Georgian conflict – “Wow! How beautiful is here!”. They found the place and recorded the video where life went on quietly and leisurely, as if there was nothing happened just around the corner. But people’s peace was rather delusory, and all the drama was hidden on their faces.
November
For the first time The Krasnals gave their painting for the biggest art charity auction in Poland, unexpectedly it was bid for the highest price, higher than already established big names. The charity auctions are important point in their activity. They gave another paintings in January and March 2009. These paintings are painted specially for the auctions aim and refer to children subjects.

2009
January
“Revolutions not for cretins” - first exhibition of The Krasnals in internet in Polish version. It is shown on the blog http://revolution-thekrasnals.blogspot.com/ in the form of ‘authentic’ diary of 24 days of creation of the group of 10 artists. The main subject ‘revolution’ becomes the motif for exploring meanings of Jacques Lacan and Slavoj Zizek; proposes reflections over art in contemporary, and commercial context.
March
The Krasnals represent Poland at the Festival “Europe XXL” in Lille, France, with their project “Last Supper” referring to art market and contemporary artist’s dependences.

April

Video presentation at Art Cologne on the invitation of Vernissage TV

June

- Alternative Participation at the Festival Urban Legends in Poznan – performance „District of tolerance”

- Action against placing the minaret in Poznan, by Joanna Rajkowska

July
Launch a series of kitsch-pop-art as a tribute to Michael Jackson and in relation to "Inglorious Bastards" by Quentin Tarantino.

August
Training in the Far East (Himalaya) - a practice directed toward the discovery of the substance of the problems of Polish art

September

Congress of Polish Culture - The Krasnals open letter - a protest to the open letter against the commercialization of art (as the authors of that letter are the most hypocritical cultivators of commerce)

October

Participation in the exhibition "Brand New Art" in Cracow in the Art World Corporation. The project "Art Korpomitacja"

November

Nominated to Polityka Passports (Polish culture award of Polityka weekly)

December
The first exhibition in Poland of The Krasnals "Last Supper - Brothers In Arms 2009" - SKWER - Reed Factory Art Center, Warsaw

2010
January

- Gala of Polityka Passports Award in Warsaw – The Krasnals muzzled, boycott of an award for Pawel Althamer as a „Creator of Culture”. Establishing the award of The Krasnals "Golden Dick" and rewarding Paul Althamer with the first statue.
- The virtual edition of Passports of The Krasnals - everyone can have one.
- "Who passed the exams of The Krasnals?" first in the history of art – official criticism of critics made by artists.
february
- Begining of painting a large painting.
- The first major publication with the analysis of The Krasnals work by Piotr Bernatowicz in Arteon magazine.
march

- Award for the Year 2009 - statue of O.pl Web portal
- Exhibition with video presentation "La Grande Bouffe" in Cafe Miesna, Poznan

may
- 13 edition of Walpapier - street wall weekly in Cracow

July
- part in the exhibition "The End", Zbiornik Kultury, Cracow
- CAA Toruń - open protest - a boycott against the boycott of artists and curators to select Pawel Lubowski the director of this institution.

24 July - 19 September 2010
The Krasnals Participation in the exhibition "I could live in Africa", Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw

11 September - 10 October
- The Super Group Krasnals at the Mediations Biennale 2010 in Poznan, at the invitation of the Japanese curator Tsutomu Mizusawa. Solo exhibition TWO YEARS OF STRUGGLE at Galeria Szyperska, Poznań. Curator shed light on the situation in which he discovered that our position in the Polish art world and negative attitude of the majority of the representatives of the mainstream, are a key example and an essential link for the overall design concept of the exhibition. He suggested that we prepare a big presentation as a separate exhibition at the Gallery Szyperska, and the whole concept of care has a curator Ewelina Jarosz. The exhibition's title "Two years of struggle" describes our current point where we are, as we fight for the abolition of barriers and creating equal opportunities for all artists - from the BEYOND position.The intention of the Japanese curator of the title “Beyond” is intended to mean that only art can bridge gaps that exist between people. Because sometimes the gaps may reach too far to be mediated by any means. Our case shows that such gaps also exist in the art, among the builders, the initiators of the construction of bridges.
- September 11 - performance and statement and fundamental question of burial - at the anniversary of WTC terrorist attack. Galeria Szyperska, Poznań, Poland.

2nd birthday of The Krasnals

2010-04-01T03:07:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal "Krasnal biting fingers of famous conductor". 2010. Oil on cancas. Fragment of a big painting

Ecology is in fashion now

2010-03-27T02:56:00.000-07:00

The Krasnals. Krasnal Bansky "Ecology is in fashion now / can of Tomato Soup Campbell's by Warhol". 2009. Technika mieszana na papierze. 100 x 70 cm

Catherine Deneuve "Repulsion"

2010-03-27T02:47:00.001-07:00

The Krasnals. Whielki Krasnal
"- How it is?
- It is like this. I'm interested in the condition of contemporary woman./
Catherine Deneuve in the movie "Repulsion" by Roman Polański 1965"
2010. Oil on canvas. 41 x 41 cm

(the dialog comes from the titles of exhibitions by Miroslaw Balka in Tate Modern "How it is" and Maciej Maciejowski in National Gallery in Cracow "It's like this")
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