When does the exhibition take place?

The exhibition runs from June 12, 2026, to October 9, 2026.

Where is the Polish Institute Düsseldorf located?

At Citadellstraße 7, 40213 Düsseldorf.

Is the exhibition free of charge?

A verified admission price was not mentioned in the sources.

What is the focus of the exhibition?

The exhibition centers around alternative historical images, historical painting, queer and trans perspectives, as well as questions of memory, power, and resistance.

What media does Mikołaj Sobczak use?

He works with painting, video, objects, and performance.

Are there official social media channels?

No verified official profiles could be established for this event.

Mikołaj Sobczak Transforms History into Living Images at the Polish Institute Düsseldorf

Name: Mikołaj Sobczak: Divide and Rule
Start: 2026-08-04T13:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-09T02:00:00+02:00
Location: Polnisches Institut Düsseldorf

Mikołaj Sobczak at the Polish Institute Düsseldorf: Historical Painting as Open Memory

With Divide and Rule, the Polish Institute Düsseldorf presents the first institutional solo exhibition of Mikołaj Sobczak in the city. The artist, born in 1989 in Poznań, works across painting, video, objects, and performance and is known for imagery narratives in which history appears not as a rigid narrative but as a contested space. The exhibition runs from June 12 to October 9, 2026. ([instytutpolski.pl](https://instytutpolski.pl/duesseldorf/2026/05/31/mikolaj-sobczak-ausstellung/))

Historical Paintings with Contemporary Weight

Sobczak questions the conventions of historical painting and develops alternative scenarios in multi-layered, often surreal tableaus. Central themes include memory, identity, power, and resistance. His focus on queer and trans perspectives, which he links with historical figures, activism, and countercultural movements, is particularly notable. Thus, an exhibition emerges that places art historical form and political urgency into a complex relationship. ([instytutpolski.pl](https://instytutpolski.pl/duesseldorf/2026/05/31/mikolaj-sobczak-ausstellung/))

Works Between Archive, Allegory, and Vision

The show assembles key works from different phases of his career. Notable pieces include the video recording of the performance The Peasants, the work Adam Gawron, the portrait Eva Kotchever, a cycle on Rudolf Steiner, as well as the large-format painting Mysteries from 2026. Sobczak connects historical research with poetic condensation and makes visible how belief, vision, and power can shape political futures. ([instytutpolski.pl](https://instytutpolski.pl/duesseldorf/2026/05/31/mikolaj-sobczak-ausstellung/))

An Artist with International Resonance

Mikołaj Sobczak studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, was a scholarship holder at the University of the Arts Berlin, and graduated as a master student at the Kunstakademie Münster in 2019. In 2021, he received the Paszport Polityki; he was also an Artist-in-Residence at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam and in the Art Explora program in Paris. For 2026, he was awarded the Villa Romana Prize. ([instytutpolski.pl](https://instytutpolski.pl/duesseldorf/2026/05/31/mikolaj-sobczak-ausstellung/))

A Place with Cultural Policy Connection

The Polish Institute Düsseldorf at Citadellstraße 7 sees itself as a platform for Polish-German cultural dialogue and is embedded in the environment of Manifesta 16 Ruhr. The exhibition thus fits into a significant year for contemporary art and European memory culture. ([instytutpolski.pl](https://instytutpolski.pl/duesseldorf/2026/05/31/mikolaj-sobczak-ausstellung/))

Conclusion

Divide and Rule promises an intense art experience between historical painting, queer perspective, and political image critique. Those interested in contemporary art, curatorial precision, and aesthetic experience should visit this exhibition live and let the multifaceted works resonate in the space. ([instytutpolski.pl](https://instytutpolski.pl/duesseldorf/2026/05/31/mikolaj-sobczak-ausstellung/))