Kościół Św. Andrzeja 2017

Editor: This is Pawel Kluza’s "Kościół św. Andrzeja," created in 2017. It seems to be an oil painting on canvas. I’m struck by how the rigid geometric forms of the architecture are softened by the vibrant, almost childlike color palette. It's very...playful. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, at first glance, the almost naive style combined with the title immediately conjures ideas about folk traditions and religious iconography intertwining within a modern context. The church, of course, has strong religious associations. But then, the figures almost appear to be shadow puppets and feel intentionally flattened. What feeling do you get from them? Editor: They feel detached somehow, like a stage play unfolding. Maybe they represent the disconnect between modern life and historical roots? Curator: Precisely. Consider how the birds and the dogs have wings: a kind of dream logic emerges that asks the viewer to interpret symbols not at face value, but by reflecting on cultural memory. Even the color palette is important. Does the bright palette invoke a sense of place for you? What kind? Editor: I see the bright colors of Krakow but then I start to imagine tourist souvenirs of Krakow. Curator: The work functions as both artifact and reflection on the tourist gaze; it suggests how cities are imagined, remembered, and commodified through image-making. Are we truly experiencing the ‘authentic’ Krakow, or a filtered and romanticized version sold in postcards? Editor: I see it differently now, less as a simple cityscape and more as a commentary on how we perceive cities through a cultural lens. Thanks for that, the city has changed for me! Curator: Absolutely. It highlights the continuous dialogue between tradition and modernity that shapes our experience. And now perhaps even your perception.