Name: Mikołaj Sobczak. Divide and Rule
Start: 2026-08-26T13:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-08-26T13:00:00+02:00
Location: Polnisches Institut Düsseldorf

Mikołaj Sobczak at the Polish Institute Düsseldorf: An exhibition about history, power, and new visual spaces

With Divide and Rule, the Polish Institute Düsseldorf presents the first institutional solo exhibition of Mikołaj Sobczak in the city. The artist, a participant in Manifesta 16 Ruhr, combines painting, video, objects, and performance into dense visual worlds where historical painting does not appear as a rigid legacy but as an open space for new narratives.

Alternative historical images with high contemporary relevance

Sobczak works with fragmentary, often surreal tableaux, where historical figures, political struggles, and queer perspectives collide. His art questions established narratives and brings to the forefront voices that are often overlooked in traditional historical images. It is precisely this connection of art historical reflection and contemporary social urgency that makes the exhibition an impressive artistic experience.

Between painting, video, and performance

The exhibition gathers key works from different phases of creation. The showcased works engage with revolution, memory, persecution, identity, and resistance. The focus is not only on the individual piece but on the entire exhibition atmosphere: images, materials, and media levels intertwine to create an aesthetic experience that sharpens the view of historical power relationships.

Queer perspectives and political memory

Particularly pronounced is Sobczak's interest in marginalized biographies and the question of who writes history. The artist connects grand narratives with personal, often forgotten life paths. As a result, works are created that are not only art historically engaging but also provide high-level cultural education. The exhibition invites a re-reading of historical painting: not as a completed genre but as a tool for critical inquiry.

A place for in-depth engagement with the artwork

The gallery of the Polish Institute at Citadellstraße 7 offers a concentrated framework for this engagement with the artwork. In the clear spatial effect of the building, Sobczak's images unfold their full intensity. The interplay of color, narration, and historical reference creates an exhibition that is both intellectually demanding and sensually captivating.

Conclusion

Divide and Rule promises an exhibition of high relevance: art historically grounded, politically awake, and visually multifaceted. Anyone interested in contemporary painting, cultural memory, and alternative historical images should experience this exhibition live. It opens up the perspective on art as a space for thought, experience, and discussion at once.