Externalities

A recurring motif in Małgorzata Kalinowska’s work is the inside coming out. This manifests, first and foremost, in unsettling bodily deformations, frequently depicted by the artist in objects, paintings, and collages. Strange concavities and protrusions suggest some terrifying illness or something trapped beneath the skin’s surface, struggling to break free.

On a more metaphorical level, these works reflect hidden traumas, fears, and repressed emotions that, sooner or later, must find an outlet. Even if they don’t tear through the skin, they will inevitably manifest in the body in one way or another.

“Externality” can also be understood as an outer layer—the boundary that separates the internal from the outside world. In Kalinowska’s works, this role is often played by lingerie and clothing, which are directly incorporated into her sculptures and paintings. Delicate lace and frills contrast with the often unsettling corporeality of her pieces, while the most symbolically charged element is the corset, an object the artist regularly revisits.

Demonized in contemporary discourse, the corset has become synonymous with oppression and constraint. Historically, however, it was—more often than not—a standard and fundamental part of attire, a support system, and even a form of armor. Similarly, many emotions are deemed inappropriate for public display. Difficult feelings, in particular, are expected to remain hidden to avoid making others uncomfortable—otherwise, they risk being dismissed as oversharing or even hysteria.

The works in this exhibition simultaneously conceal and expose these emotions, dressing them in visual metaphors so that each visitor may interpret them in their own way.

curator: Aleks Szubert