The exhibition ‘Beneath the Surface’ is held in the abandoned basements of the annex of the Ogiński and Potulicki Palace at ul. Piłsudskiego 4. For years the space lay unused and flooded; it has now become a venue for site-specific installations and works by two artists. The project uses the historic interior not only as a backdrop but also as part of the artistic narrative.
The exhibition addresses themes of violence, trauma, exclusion and rejection, that is, what remains outside our field of vision: homelessness, depression, maladjustment and the inner shadow, that is, what is uncomfortable, shameful and hard to accept.
Tomasz Górnicki’s sculptures place psychological states within abandoned architecture, which he treats as a material equivalent of the subconscious. Igor Dobrowolski’s works combine documentary with the gesture of a child’s drawing. His hyperrealistic depictions of people experiencing homelessness draw attention to those whose presence is often overlooked.
The palace was built in 1879 as the urban residence of the Ogiński and Potulicki families. After the damage of the Second World War it was rebuilt by the Archdiocese of Kraków and assigned to the needs of a seminary. From 1954 the building was part of the complex of the Higher Theological Seminary. Sources indicate that the underground spaces, marked by history and years of disuse, will soon change their function.
Tomasz Górnicki (born 1986) is a sculptor and creator of site-specific projects, a graduate of the Faculty of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Igor Dobrowolski (born 1987) is a visual artist working at the intersection of painting, photography, spatial actions and performance; his work concerns, among other things, violence, exclusion, inequality, poverty and mental health.
The exhibition is curated by Delfina Jałowik, and coordinated by Agnieszka Mazoń-Żywolewska.
Practical information:
- Dates: 24 October to 29 November 2026
- Opening hours: Friday, 4:00–7:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 am–5:00 pm.
- Entrance through the gate on the left-hand side of the building.
- Visits take place in groups of up to 25 people, accompanied by a guide. Overshoes are available on site.
- The space is raw and underground, with darkness and damp. The route involves stairs and uneven surfaces, and some areas have limited accessibility.
- The exhibition is intended for adults only.