Łódź Kaliska art group was founded in 1979 and the oldest works in the collection date back to that year. Originally they were set in the conceptual ideas of the photomedialism, however, the young artists quickly became critical of its conventionalisation, superficiality of its reflection, and artistic idleness. Initially, the members of the group began to openly, if not provocatively, contest the style and ideas of avant-garde, in particular the neo-avant-garde of the 1970s. The group remained faithful to this sharp, often ostentatiously immature and boorish ridiculing of avant-garde traditions throughout the entire decade of the 1980s and even later. Still, in terms of forms and genres, as well as in respect to their own deliberations on art, they maintained a close relation with avant-garde’s legacy, even if it was polemic in its nature. As a paradox, Łódź Kaliska found a way of saving their avantgardism from banality, mannerism, and institutionalisation in continuous challenging any manifestation or form adopted by the avant-garde that would receive cultural ennoblement (with a significant exception of Dadaism that never was challenged by the group).
Since 1981 Łódź Kaliska formed a part of the Pitch-In Culture, the underground net of radical, neo-avant-garde artists created against the dichotomy of official art accepted by the public institutions and the anti-government, conservative art affiliated with the Church. Members of Łódź Kaliska animated Pitch-In Culture's activities and created works within its milieu, and, on multiple occasions, in a broader cooperation with other artists. The works from this period (until ca. 1987) constitute a highly important testimony to the artistic underground, set against the artistic mainstream, regardless of its political affiliations: art created in accordance with the socialist doctrine was met with equal rejection as the politically committed art of “Solidarity”- and opposition-related circles. At time Łódź Kaliska followed the “positive nihilism”, a term coined by Andrzej Partum and promoted by Józef Robakowski. The group collaborated with, i.a. Tomasz Snopkiewicz, Zbigniew Bińczyk, Włodzimierz Adamiak, Jacek Jóźwiak, Jerzy Truszkowski, Zbigniew Libera, and Jacek Kryszkowski – who were also participants of the Pitch-In Culture. In a sense Łódź Kaliska dissolved in the Pitch-In Culture; particular members created their own, separate works, often in collaboration with colleagues from outside of the group. Numerous examples of works from that period can be found at www.kulturazrzuty.pl. Nonetheless the breakup of the Pitch-In Culture in the years 1986-1987 resulted in tightening of the relations within the Łódź Kaliska circle who, from that moment onwards, created works collectively much more often.
The last years of the decade brought two more changes. Firstly, Łódź Kaliska, in spite of its notoriety as the enfant terrible of Polish art, was gradually earning recognition among the critics, which meant that museums began purchasing their works and its members were invited to exhibitions. Thus Łódź Kaliska emerged slightly from the underground without, however, abandoning it or ceasing to contest the local art world. Secondly, along with the transition to a more collective modus operandi, came an aesthetic evolution: from its original Dada-surreal-popart conglomerate to a consciously elaborated postmodernist strategy with its typical parody, pastiche, and citation techniques.
Nonetheless, it was only in the 1990s when Łódź Kaliska gained common recognition as a notable group of creators. It was also at that time when their works received more attention. It is not a coincidence that the end of the decade and the 20th anniversary of Łódź Kaliska were symbolically marked by the publication of the album God envies us our mistakes containing the most significant works of the group. Earlier, the works from the entire period of the group's activities were displayed at Łódź Kaliska Club, which opened in 1996 at Piotrkowska 102 in Łódź. The Club operates until today and is a popular spot for meetings, events, and concerts.
The 2000s brought more notable exhibitions and publications, among others, Frankness and Blague. The Ethics of the Lodz Kaliska Works from the Years 1979-1989 at the Muzeum Sztuki (Museum of Art) in Łódź in 2009, and a year later a book by the same title. In spite of their visible ennoblement in the artistic hierarchy and social publicity, Łódź Kaliska's new works from the 2000s were met much more frequently with criticism than their works from the 1980s, which were viewed as much more commendable, due to their audacity, uniqueness, originality, as well as their revealing nature.
The group remains active and their collection continues to grow. Apart from successive exhibitions, books, and anniversaries, also the launching of Łódź Kaliska’s current website in 2007 was a notable event, as it was used to share a substantial number of works and texts with the general public on the Internet.
Today, the works of Łódź Kaliska are displayed on a regular basis. The collection is located in the private apartments of the members of the group, mostly in Łódź. It would certainly be hard to imagine an exhibition dedicated to independent, alternative, or underground art of the 1980s that would not include the legacy of this group. Therefore, Łódź Kaliska’s collection draws the attention of numerous researchers, critics, and curators. Simultaneously, many items still have not been digitised, and previously mentioned the interest does not necessarily generate financial support.
Sources:
Jarosław Lubiak (ed.), "Szczerość i blaga. Etyka prac Łodzi Kaliskiej w latach 1979-89", Łódź 2009.
Marek Janiak (ed.), "Kultura Zrzuty", Warszawa 1989.
Łódź Kaliska (ed. & comp.), "Bóg zazdrości nam pomyłek", Łódź 1999.
Marta Pierzchała (ed.), "Biała aura", Łódź 2010.
