On 16 February 2023, the Kazimierz Kutz Award ceremony was held in Stanisław Wyspiański Silesian Theatre in Katowice.
The winner of the third edition of the competition was theatre director Maja Kleczewska. She received the Award for her artistic activity, which she combines with social commitment. IThe prize itself consists of PLN 50,000 and a statuette by Ksawery Kaliski designed by Erwin Sówka – it is one of the last works by the artist from Grupa Janowska.
Dariusz Kortko, journalist and editor-in-chief of the Katowice branch of ‘Gazeta Wyborcza’, in his laudatory speech, drew attention to the laureate:
Let us look at this woman. She doesn’t say much, rather she uses gestures, looped ticks, sudden changes of emotional states. She provokes mocking and even angry reactions from people watching her. We feel the violence that is growing every minute, mainly among loved ones, in the family. (…) Why Kleczewska is doing this to us? Maybe to lead us all to Pallas Athena, like Orestes pursued by the Erinyes, so that she would free us from our guilt. So that we can leave the past behind with all our baggage, accusations, meanness. So that ‘Łaskawe’ [the Gracious] let us be.
For the second time, the honorary award in the category Ambassador of Silesia was presented. It was awarded to Prof. Jerzy Buzek, Prime Minister, President of the European Parliament (2009–2012) for:
(…) tireless work of convincing that one can be a good citizen of one’s region, country and Europe all at the same time. For bringing, in his person, the forgotten virtues of an outstanding statesman to Polish and European politics: integrity, appreciation for work and education, reliability; ensuring that the thought precedes the word; elegance and courtesy as well as unconditional respect for each interlocutor.
Ryszard Koziołek (fragment)
Among the nominees for the award were:
- Marta Frej, illustrator, painter and meme author.
- Maja Ostaszewska, actress,
- Robert Konieczny, architect,
- Henryk Waniek, painter, graphic artist, writer, translator and essayist.
The members of the award committee included: Halina Bieda, Prof. Antoni Cygan, Krystyna Doktorowicz, PhD, DLitt, Assoc. Prof., Prof. Andrzej Gwóźdź, Jerzy Illg, PhD, Aleksandra Klich, Dariusz Kortko, Prof. Ryszard Koziołek, Marcin Krupa, PhD, Olgierd Łukaszewicz, Ewa Niewiadomska, Jacek Siebel, PhD, Edyta Sytniewska, Iwona Świętochowska-Kutz, Robert Talarczyk (chair) and Piotr Zaczkowski.
The organisers of the ceremony are the City of Katowice, the University of Silesia in Katowice and Stanisław Wyspiański Silesian Theatre in Katowice.
Full laudations and recordings of speeches are available on the official website of the event.
