The first edition of “Arts and nations” cycle constituted in a meeting with professor Tadeusz Żuchowski, director of the Institute of History of Arts of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Professor Żuchowski, prominent theorist and art historian, shared his knowledge concerning relations between German and Polish art in 19th and 20th century. According to professor, these relations mainly constituted in disputes – of both scientific and personal character.
The most significant ones, as claimed by our guest, included disputes over historical memory, like, for instance, artistic renderings of the battle of Grunwald or of the castle in Malbork. Professor Żuchowski drew particular attention to creating myths by both parties to the dispute – which was reflected in the title of the lecture: „Your myths – our myths”. The lecture also allowed to highlight some historical patterns, like borrowings from German paintings in Polish paintings, or the fact that Polish party mainly answered German concepts and could rarely formulate its own, independent vision – both on artistic and historiographical grounds.
After the lecture, heavily illustrated with unique iconography, traditional discussion was held, which largely deviated towards modern Polish and German relations.
