Polish Passion is the title of an exhibition on show at the Flower Art Museum in Aalsmeer from 2 February. The exhibition presents the works of nine Polish artists living and working in the Netherlands. It includes not only paintings, but also photographs, prints, textiles, unique decorative and functional objects as well as costume designs. Visitors can admire paintings, and handmade paper works by Maria Diduch paintings by Krystyna Grzybowska, embroideries by Iska van Kempen-Jarnicka, linocuts by Michalina Malolepsza paintings by Justyna Pennards-Sycz, Dorota Roszkowska and Maugosia Sycz as well as photographs by Daniel Kempisty and costume designs by Violetta Riedel from the Trash Design collection, made from waste materials such as plastic bottles and bags or drinking straws. The artists’ works range from the abstract to the very realistic, the latter alluding to Flemish still-life paintings, but what they all have is common is being inspired by nature, especially flowers.
Flowers are one of the most important and most commonly used motifs in the history of painting, allowing the artist to experiment with colour, composition and the play of light. Paintings depicting flowers also have a very rich symbolism that often refers to the passing of time, fragility of existence and to emotions. It is a universal motif, easily readable by everyone, requiring no knowledge of historical or social context, and therefore with great potential to communicate content across linguistic or cultural differences.
The choice of venue for the exhibition of flower-themed works by Polish artists was certainly not accidental. After all, Aalsmeer is home to the largest flower market in the world, opened in 1911 and many Polish people have been working there for almost 20 years. It is them the installation titled Tribute to the Silent Workers, by the florist Elize Eveleens, is dedicated to. It also happens to be the first object you see when entering the museum building. The installation is assembled with 3,000 cubes of dried flowers in muted colours. Their number reflects the number of people of Polish origin working in the flower industry in the Aalsmeer area.
The exhibition is therefore worth visiting not only for its aesthetic qualities, but also for its broader message, which considers and emphasizes the contribution of the Polish community to the economic and cultural development of the region. The Polish Passion exhibition will be open until 18 May 2025. Come along!
Monika Gimblett
