In June of 2023, Hana Buddeus from the Prague research team, embarked on a study trip to Amsterdam as part of the Resonances project. The main objective was to meet the Polish artist, Henryk Gajewski, the founder of Remont Gallery in Warsaw, who played a crucial role in the international neo-avant-garde art scene of the 1970s and later emigrated to the Netherlands. Gajewski possesses a significant collection of archival material that not only chronicles his extensive organizational, curatorial, and artistic pursuits but is also a valuable resource for tracing the international artistic connections of that era. He was instrumental in initiating large-scale international collaboration and symposia, including such notable events like the I AM performance festival in 1978 or his Other Child Book project.

 

During the meeting, Hana Buddeus conducted an interview mainly focused on the topics related to the Resonances project. In the discussion, Gajewski talked about his collaborations with artists and theorists from both Western and Eastern Europe as well as non-European countries. He also explained how he selected the artists for the project and how he managed to organize exhibitions and festivals at Remont Gallery, which belonged to the Student Club of the Warsaw University of Technology.

 

The personal meeting and conversation not only provided answers to important questions related to our research themes but also led to a promise of future cooperation.