15. FKIPCŚ: TOMASZ TOMASZEWSKI: MOST OFTEN THEY ASK FOR FERTILITY

As part of the Festival of Cultures and Travel CURIOUS OF THE WORLD, we invite you to a presentation

TOMASZ TOMASZEWSKI: MOST OFTEN THEY ASK FOR FERTILITY

October 21, 2026, 7:00 PM

Forum Cinema, 5 Legionowa Street

free admission

Tomasz Tomaszewski will introduce and present the photographic material, which is a continuation of the previously opened exhibition “Possession”. He will base his story mainly on the phenomenon of Vodun, an indigenous West African religious tradition, practiced mainly in Benin and Togo.

The event accompanying both the exhibition and the meeting will be the presentation of selected exhibits from the African Art Gallery collection at the Fama Club, from 17:00 to 22:00.

It will be an excellent opportunity to talk with Dr. Dariusz Skonieczko, who has great knowledge about the Vodun phenomenon.

Tomasz Tomaszewski — holds a doctorate degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. He is a member of the Association of Polish Photographers, the Visum Foto agency in Hamburg, the National Geographic Creative agency in Washington and the International Press Club. He works in press photography, publishes his photographs in the most important Polish and many foreign magazines, such as: “National Geographic Magazine”, “Stern”, “Paris Match”, “GEO”, “New York Times”, “Time”, “Fortune”, “Elle”, “Vogue”.

He published several author's books: “The Last. Contemporary Polish Jews” (text: Małgorzata Niezabitowska); “In Search of America” (text: Małgorzata Niezabitowska); “Gypsies — Other People Like Us”; “In the Center”; “Unusual Spain”; “A Beret Throw”; “An Atmosphere of Kindness is Ensured”; “The Enduring. Highlanders, tradition and faith”; “Everything can be anything”; “Gypsies”; “Happyland”; “Black Magic Woman”; “Possession”; “The world is where you left off”, he also illustrated more than a dozen collective works with his works. Author of numerous solo exhibitions in USA, Canada, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Holland, France, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Indonesia, Brazil, India, Bulgaria, Dubai, Madagascar and Poland. He is a laureate of Polish and international photography awards. For more than thirty years he has collaborated with the magazine “National Geographic USA”, in which he has published eighteen photographic essays, and since 1999 he has been the main consultant of its Polish edition. He teaches photography in Poland, USA, Germany, Turkey, Bangladesh, Philippines and Italy.

www.academy.tomasztomaszewski.com

African Art Gallery is a collection of Joanna and Ryszard Stolarski, who a few years ago discovered the beauty of African art, absent and underappreciated in Poland. With great passion, they began to popularize it. By funding research on it and creating a gallery of African art, they make their collections available to the general public.

African Art Gallery is a space created out of passion, knowledge and deep respect for African cultural heritage. The collection now includes more than 500 curated objects originating mainly from West and Central Africa. Each of them was obtained not only taking into account the provenance and aesthetic values, but also the state of preservation and research potential. Among the exhibits are sculptures, masks and ritual artefacts — both from former private collections and museum objects from around the world.

The uniqueness of the collections lies not only in their diversity, but also in the meticulous documentation. Each object has its own inventory card, history, name and attribution, often established during field research. All objects have been described, photographed and preserved. The collection is under the constant care of outstanding specialists in the field of art history, conservation and experienced museologists, which guarantees the highest substantive and ethical standard.

African Art Gallery is not just a collection — it is a living testimony to history, culture and spirituality. It is a space that inspires, educates and provokes reflection on the importance of African art in the context of universal cultural values.

People talking about the exhibits:

Dr. Dariusz Skonieczko — curator of the collections of the Gallery of African Art, curator of the Municipal Museum in Pabianice. Art historian, graduate of the Faculty of Art History of the University of Lodz. Curator of exhibitions and author of the script for the permanent exhibition “African expeditions. Asian Roads” and many temporary exhibitions devoted to non-European art. He publishes in scientific journals, including those included in the list of MNiSW. Co-author of the book “Stefan Szolc Rogoziński — The Forgotten Explorer of Africa”, the comic book “Journey to Adventure” and documentaries: “Kings, Palavars and the Forgotten Explorer” (2016), “Journey” (2016), “Return of the Wanderer” (2023). He participated in scientific expeditions to Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Liberia, from which he brought numerous exhibits that enriched the collections of PME and MAie. In 2016, he was awarded the title of Advisor and Digner of the Royal Court of Mondola by the King of the people of Mondoli (Cameroon), Dr. Ekoke Molindo.

Diana Kułakowska — a conservator of painting and wooden sculpture, a graduate of the Faculty of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw (diploma in 2017), where she currently works as an assistant at the Department of Conservation of Painting on Moving Substrates and Polychrome Wooden Sculpture. In his professional work, he deals with both easel painting, ancient and contemporary, as well as West African art. She participated in a scientific and conservation project in northern Lebanon, dedicated to the protection of medieval wall paintings from the time of the Crusades and in the restoration work on ancient paintings in the Villa Arianna in one of the cities of Vesuvius — Stabiach. He also runs a private restoration company.

The gallery is supervised by Jeremi Czyżewski — director, director, screenwriter and film editor. Co-producer and director of a series of documentaries on Ukrainian themes (“Bachelor of the Moon”, 2003; “The Prince of Wine”, 2004; “Red and Black”, 2005). Co-creator of advertising campaigns and artistic concepts of brands entering the Polish market (including Canal+ and Smirnoff). Co-author of a series of promotional films for the National Library and the Copernicus Science Centre. He cooperates with the largest television stations in Poland and many advertising agencies. He published articles in the magazines “Machina”, “Plastic” and “Success”. Photographer and photo editor. Creator of video projections and author of visual frames for numerous theatrical performances for the Contemporary Theatre, the New Theatre and the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising. In the 1990s he organized artistic events, including at the legendary Krzysztofory Gallery in Krakow and at Blue Velvet at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts.

African Art Gallery

30 Emilii Plater Street,

00-698 Warsaw

www.africanart.gallery