Curatorial tour of the exhibition “Józef Makal. Four decades, one look.”

Conducted by Dr. Kamil Myszkowski

Józef Makal's photographs form a multidimensional record of the life of Upper Silesia and the Dąbrowski Zagłębie in the second half of the 20th century. For almost four decades of work as a photojournalist for “Dziennik Zachodni”, he documented the reality of the region — from official events to ordinary, often unnoticed, moments of everyday life. His photographs are not only a chronicle of an era, but above all a story about man and his place in a changing world.

Makal watched the local residents with exceptional attentiveness — at work, on the street, in moments of rest and meetings. He was interested in gestures, relationships and situations that create an authentic picture of social life. Its natural environment was the city: streets, squares, settlements and courtyards, where everyday life is intertwined with the dynamics of urban transformations. An important context of this reality remains industry — present as a background and force organizing the rhythm of life, but never overshadowing man.