‘The Triennale, thanks to the power of influence of the University of Silesia and the associated artistic community, is already a recognisable brand’, – notes Adam Czech, PhD, DLitt, Associate Professor, curator of the 3rd International Print Triennial in Cieszyn.
Beata Mońka: The winners of the 3rd edition of the International Print Triennial in Cieszyn have been announced. Their work can be seen until 7 February at an exhibition in the University Gallery at the Faculty of Arts and Educational Science of the University of Silesia. Let us briefly recall the history of the competition..
Adam Czech: The 1st International Print Triennial in Cieszyn was held in 2017 and the theme was: ‘In search of the impossible’. Already during the first edition, interest in the competition was very high, with around 1,000 works submitted by 587 artists from 33 countries (Poland, China, Turkey, Japan, Thailand, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, Sweden, South Korea, Bulgaria, India, Mexico and Brazil). The following year, we organised a competition for a small graphic form entitled ‘Fables for Robots’, which was aimed at young artists from all over the world. The theme referred to Stanislaw Lem’s novel, posing questions to the audience about a vision of the future. Approximately 600 small graphic forms were submitted for the competition, with 402 authors taking part. The 2nd International Print Triennial in Cieszyn – in 2021 – fell at a pandemic time and much of the activity took place remotely. Participants were artists in the field of graphic design who could submit up to three works under an open theme. It is worth noting that the artistic event was part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Cieszyn branch of the University of Silesia. In this edition, we have two age categories: 18+ and 14-17 years old, and artists could only submit one artwork.
Beata Mońka: How far did the news of the 3rd edition of the competition go – what were the most surprising places from which you received entries?
Adam Czech: I can mention countries such as Guam, New Zealand, Nigeria, Cameroon, United Arab Emirates, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, South Korea, Jordan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Uruguay, and Argentina… and I could go on and on… There were entries from almost every continent: Europe (603), Asia (128), North America (55), South America (21), Africa (6), Australia and Oceania (5). We received the largest number of entries from various Polish cities, and the next most represented countries were Thailand and Mexico.
Beata Mońka: The theme of the competition was: ‘Horizons of the City’. How did the authors interpret it? Could you see differences in approach between the two age groups?
Adam Czech: The interpretations of the theme were very diverse, ranging from literal motifs – especially in the younger group – to not only forms associated with architecture, but also people, making up the urban fabric, or abstraction. The way in which the subject was approached differed between the continents, with the graphics submitted from Asia in particular being very recognisable – in a similar style and with great attention to detail. Of course, the works from the younger age group are mostly consistent with the age of the authors, although there are exceptions, such as the winning graphic from Thailand.
Beata Mońka: Participants were able to present works in the following graphic art techniques: traditional, experimental and digital. Which of these techniques is currently more popular than the others, are young artists more willing to use digital tools?
Adam Czech: Among the awarded works traditional techniques dominate in each age category Only four digital works qualified in the younger age group, the others were made using traditional means, so I guess the age of the authors is not a decisive factor in this matter. And if we were to list all the techniques of the works that are being presented in the exhibition, it is necessary to mention the following: etching, aquatint, woodcut, linocut, intaglio, experimental (monotype, digital), mezzotint, screen printing, laser woodcut, electro-etching, lithography, collography, relief, and digital. The observation, which has always been apparent, that authors from Asian countries mainly submit prints to competitions using workshop techniques, can certainly be confirmed.
Beata Mońka: With such a variety of techniques and interpretations of the theme, the judges certainly did not have an easy task…
Adam Czech: The judges emphasised the very high level of the works entered in the competition. And they had to face the challenge of selecting the final sixty from the 821 graphics submitted. Unfortunately, our gallery space is limited. It was extremely difficult to make a selection, especially in the first stage of the competition, where selections are made on the basis of digital reproductions alone. In the second stage, it was already possible to touch the submitted originals, look at them up close and examine the technical nuances. The jury relied on their knowledge and their own feelings, and of course, the theme was also important. There were many, relatively obvious solutions, especially in the 14-17 year old category. However, the use of abstraction in interpreting a specific theme is difficult at this age. There were exceptions, of course, and these graphics are captivating. Diversity, technical execution, interpretation of the theme and the intriguing notes contained in the works were also significant in the assessment.
Beata Mońka: The triennial is being held for the third time. What was the idea behind its creation?
Adam Czech: A key objective of the International Print Triennial in Cieszyn is to promote artists working within traditional and digital printmaking techniques. The idea of organising this type of competition was born during the search for a new way of activating and integrating young, talented people from different artistic backgrounds. The Triennial provides an opportunity for authors from different cultures, regions, and communities to creatively explore artistic solutions and to form a creative attitude towards reality. It contributes to closer cooperation between universities, schools, cultural centres, and art associations in Poland and abroad. It was important to decide that a jury selection was needed to maintain the high level of the competition, and the result of the jury selection is an international post-competition exhibition at the University Gallery of the University of Silesia in Cieszyn and a post-competition publication. Thanks to the power of the influence of the university and the associated artistic community, the Triennial is already a recognisable brand, and Cieszyn Silesia has gained additional value as a place of relevance for contemporary art.
Beata Mońka: Young artists aged 14-17 are also invited to enter the competition. What was behind such a decision?
Adam Czech: The exchange of artistic visions and a sense of competition improve the quality of artistic education and shape the personalities of the youngest generation of artists. We hoped that the theme: ‘Horizons of the City’ will reach a young audience in particular, who may join the student body of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of the University of Silesia in the future.
Beata Mońka: Almost everyone is now discussing what so-called artificial intelligence can and can already do. Among the ‘skills’ it is developing are those of graphic design. What does it mean for the competition?
Adam Czech: Artificial intelligence can pose a threat in the digital category. The situation is different for traditional techniques that require manual matrix processing, where the prints are unique, although, of course, they differ within the print run. Personally, I believe that the effects produced by artificial intelligence tools can be inspirational, but the final creation of the graphics should start in the artist’s head, led by his or her skills, manual use of tools not only associated with the traditional skillset but also a digital one. The regulations of the next edition of the Triennial – which I believe it will happen – may look very different… Time will tell.
The post-competition exhibition can be viewed until 7 February 2025 at the University Gallery of the University of Silesia in Cieszyn.
Adam Czech, PhD, DLitt, Assoc. Prof. | Photo by Aneta Sadowska