From the East to the East

Titel: From the East to the East
Location: Lectwo Gallery in Poznan

Artists: Aykan Safoğlu, Marta Romankiv, Monika Wińczyk, Özlem Sarıyıldız, Zofia nierodzińska

Curators: Gabi Skrzypczak and Zofia nierodzinska

From the East to the East is the second part of a project conducted in collaboration between the Poznan-based Gallery Lectwo and Berlin-based gallery KVOST, exploring themes of economic migration from East to West and from South to North. In Poland, the largest migrant groups are from Ukraine and Belarus, while in Germany, they are from Turkey and Poland. The exhibition is dedicated to minorities and the specific relationships shaped by the experience of changing one's place of residence.

Migration is a universal phenomenon occurring across all geographies, typically from regions with weaker infrastructure to areas where resources are accumulated. Certain regions, such as Podlasie, Anatolia, or Western Ukraine, are shaped by long-standing social and familial histories of migration, through maintaining connections over distances or through collective imaginings of working in the West. These symbolic-material experiences create a unique migration culture, formed both by those living in diasporas and those who remain in their birthplace. This culture emerges through the transmission of migration-related knowledge: networks of contacts, addresses, behavioral patterns, and aspirations for life.

The feeling of alienation in a country to which one migrates, as well as upon returning to one’s home, creates a specific migratory condition characterized by "being in between," existing in two or more places simultaneously. This can manifest in instances such as working by caring for someone abroad while worrying about the well-being of a family left behind, or building a house for someone else while dreaming of one's own. The experience of migration is often seen as temporary, a provisional phase that precedes stability associated with a "settled" way of life. Through the exhibition From the East to the East, we aim to elevate the migration experience by highlighting the knowledge it brings, reframing "being in between" as a state rather than an exception, and presenting the figure of the migrant (a person on the move) as a universal point of reference.

In doing so, we consider economic factors, the abrupt impacts of climate change, and the increasingly aggressive politics of empires that contribute to contemporary displacements and shape the identities of those on the move.

The invited artists—Aykan Safoğlu, Marta Romankiv, Monika Wińczyk, Özlem Sarıyıldız, and Zofia nierodzińska—share stories of people who have left their familiar contexts, as well as those who stayed. The works exhibited are united by narratives told from a third-person perspective, encompassing the experiences of loved ones, countrymates, people met "while out there," and those only seen returning. At the same time, these works also reflect the autobiographical experience of being a foreigner in one’s (un)familiar country.

Exhibition room, grey wooden floor and walls painted half lilac. There are two large paintings on the walls, one to the left and one to the right, and a sculpture of a woman who looks like an ancient figure. On the floor is an installation made of plastic bags and a carpet made of the same bags. Exhibition room, grey wooden floor and walls painted half lilac, on the left a sculpture of a woman dressed like an antique figure, all in white, with three hands: two bent arms on the left, holding a sign of infinity, and one hand in a fist gesture on the right. On the right wall is a painting depicting a block of flats. The block is painted in orange and light pink and stands on a bright green lawn. a sculpture of a woman dressed like an antique figure, all in white, with three hands: two bent arms on the left, holding a sign of infinity, and one hand in a fist gesture on the right. An installation made of plastic bags and a carpet made of the same bags lying on a grey wooden floor. On the bags are texts written in Polish. The bags are very colorful Painting depicting a person at work paintng a wall white. The image is in purple, orange and greenish colors. It is a big scale, vertical painting. Painting depicting a three women persons with balloons. The image is in yeallowish, orange, bright purple and dark green colors. The figures are brighter and yellowish, the backgroud is dark green. It is a big scale, horizontal painting Installation made of stones with different signs in three languages: Polish, Ukrainian and English. Stones lye on a wooden floor. On the stones are quotations like: Migration is a hard jor or I keep busy to avoid sadness Installation made of stones with different signs in three languages: Polish, Ukrainian and English. Stones lye on a wooden floor. On the stones are quotations like: Migration is a hard jor or I keep busy to avoid sadness Dark space with a projection in the middle. On the projection there is a young male face in glasses. the image is black and white A dark room with a projection on the right and a small screen on the left. The projection shows a computer screen with a lot of open icons and the small screen shows a hand writing on toilet tiles. A dark room with a small screen showing a hand writing on toilet tiles. A stone in nature, in a park between tress and ivy. On the stone there is a text written Nobpdy expected that the war will come A stone in nature, in a park between tress and ivy. On the stone there is a text written I keep busy to avoid sadness