March 27–28, 2021
The main aim of the Friend of a Friend (FOAF) initiative is to invigorate international exchange between artists, critics, collectors and gallery owners. FOAF is based on the idea of sharing exhibition space by the local galleries with their foreign partners. As a result, intriguing juxtapositions of works by Polish and foreign artists are created and new relationships between galleries are established. The aim of the project is to forge a model of contemporary art presentation which would complement art fairs and the effective networking of Polish artists, gallerists and curators. FOAF creates an opportunity for the local audience to experience the works of foreign artists, which, in many cases, have not been exhibited in Poland so far.
In 2021, FOAF will involve six Warsaw-based galleries: LETO, Piktogram, Dawid Radziszewski, Raster, Stereo and Wschód. Following the organisers’ guidelines, the galleries will invite foreign galleries of their choice to cooperate and co-organise contemporary art shows together in Warsaw.
Owing to the joint initiative of founders and organizers of FOAF, the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw and the Friends of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, the Friends’ Art Prize was created. The award allows the acquisition of a selected work presented within the Warsaw edition of FOAF, for the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. In 2018, works by David Flaugher and Sean Mullins, who were working with the New York’s gallery Lomex, were purchased for the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw. In 2019, owing to the support of a sponsor, Shana Moulton’s work was added to the museum’s collection. The video was purchased at the artist’s representative, the Swiss gallery Gregor Staiger. Thanks to the support of Helena Czernecka and the involvement of the Friends of the Museum, the awarding of the Friends’ Art Prize will be possible once again.
Invited galleries: The Breeder (Athens) / Croy Nielsen (Vienna) / Damien & The Love Guru (Brussels) / Jan Kaps (Cologne) / Galerie Krinzinger (Vienna) / Kristina Kite (Los Angeles) / LAYR (Vienna) / Soft Opening (London) / Sophie Tappeiner (Vienna) / SVIT (Prague)
Invited artists: Christiane Blattmann, Cudelice Brazelton IV, Oskar Dawicki, David Fesl, Zuza Golińska, HC, Lena Henke, Irina Lotarevich, Nancy Lupo, Birgit Megerle, Gizela Mickiewicz, Berenice Olmedo, Georgia Sagri, Eva Schlegel, Ben Schumacher, Adam Shiu-Yang Shaw, Radek Szlaga, Tenant of Culture, Kyle Thurman
FOAF is organized by Stereo and Wschód galleries and Ewa Borysiewicz (freelance critic and curator)
Contact: foafwarsaw [at] gmail.com