Abstract

The origins of postcolonial discourses in Poland today are connected to a prevalent feeling among Poles that Poland itself has been an ‘overlooked’ victim of colonialism. In relation to the contemporary discourse on ’care and repair,’ this research-creation engages with the emotional and epistemological dilemmas inherent to showcasing Poland’s entanglement with the ‘global colonial power matrix’. In this written component of my thesis, I present a review of current practices within Poland’s art scenes to illustrate how coloniality is both reproduced and challenged in Polish museums. Subsequently, I reflect on my creative process behind producing the exhibition Jarring Lots. Drawing on Édouard Glissant, the name of the exhibition is a linguistic and conceptual reference to the fermentation of dill pickles and the transformative potential of opacit. Ultimately, this research-creation proposes that what is lacking in Poland’s exhibitions are decolonial gestures focused on taking care of the country’s racialised communities.