When does the exhibition take place?

The event is scheduled for 08.09.2026 at 11:00 AM. According to the institute's information, the exhibition runs from 12.06.2026 to 09.10.2026.

Where can the exhibition be seen?

At the Polish Institute Düsseldorf, Citadellstraße 7, 40213 Düsseldorf.

What art forms will be shown?

Works between painting, video, objects, and performance will be on display. The focus is on the artistic engagement with history.

What is the content about?

The exhibition questions history painting, memory politics, and power relations, bringing queer and trans perspectives to the forefront.

Is the admission free?

There are no clear indications in the verified web sources regarding this. Therefore, the price remains open.

What are the opening hours of the institute?

The institute states that the gallery is open Tuesday to Wednesday and Friday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM as well as Thursday from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Mikołaj Sobczak Transforms History Painting into an Open Field of the Present

Name: Mikołaj Sobczak. Share and Rule
Start: 2026-09-08T13:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-09-08T13:00:00+02:00
Location: Polnisches Institut Düsseldorf

Mikołaj Sobczak in Düsseldorf: When History Painting Speaks to the Present

With „Mikołaj Sobczak. Share and Rule“, the Polish Institute Düsseldorf presents an exhibition that transforms painting, video, and performance into a multifaceted artistic experience. The participant of Manifesta 16 Ruhr challenges the conventions of history painting and opens up perspectives for alternative scenarios in which memory, power, and identity are re-negotiated.

Between Image Space and Historiography

Sobczak's works combine art historical references with contemporary critique. His tableaux appear like precisely composed stage sets, where real figures, symbolic gestures, and surreally charged image spaces meet. It is this tension that makes the exhibition so captivating: history is not presented as a closed narrative, but as an open field of aesthetic experience and political confrontation.

Painting, Video, Object, Performance

The presentation gathers key works from different phases of creation. Sobczak works across media, but painting remains the backbone of his practice. This is complemented by video, objects, and performative forms of thought that enliven the space and turn the exhibition into a dense, atmospheric staging. Particularly striking is his focus on queer and trans perspectives as well as on groups that have often been marginalized in traditional historical narratives.

Politics of Memory as Art Space

Thematically, the exhibition revolves around memory, identity, resistance, and historical interpretation. Sobczak uses the visual language of history painting to subvert its authority. Instead of heroic clarity, open narratives emerge that make contradictions visible and promote cultural education in a compelling way. The exhibition thus connects art historical reflection with social relevance.

A Place for Intensive Artwork Examination

The exhibition atmosphere at the Polish Institute Düsseldorf invites concentrated observation of the works. Those who engage with the images discover subtle transitions between color, figure, symbol, and space. Sobczak's art demands attention, but rewards with a profound, sensual reading of history as present experience.

Conclusion: This exhibition leads into a world of images that is both poetic and critical, where the past does not freeze in a museum-like manner but becomes alive. Anyone interested in contemporary art, political image strategies, and powerful exhibition experiences should definitely visit “Share and Rule” live.