The second edition of “Żurnal” is all about cultivating our collective memory and curating archives – topics that are very close to our hearts. Our interviewees are people who deeply care about the past, taking care of its artefacts or using them as inspiration. In this edition, we’re exploring the culture and history of the Lemko region, important to Zofia Chylak because of her family’s roots. Filomena Smoła, a young Lemko artist, speaks about the sensual aspect of working with glass. Paula Kozłowska, who hand-knits sweaters under her brand Kai Kotto, speaks about her love for craftsmanship, while Jan Łętowski, folk dress enthusiast and collector, tells us about how the human need to surround yourself with beauty unites people of different cultures. We also write about the fascinating Aby Warburg – a German art historian who elevated collecting to an art in its own right, creating a remarkable library and the magnum opus Mnemosyne Atlas – an expansive collage that combined Renaissance art, newspaper clippings, and photographs of ancient sculptures. Through the stories of artists who look for traces of the lost world of the Lemko people in the region’s plants and trees, Klara Czerniewska-Andryszczyk shows us how contemporary art delves into the connection between human history and nature.
