Island Gallery 1990–2002

Island Gallery 1990–2002
Island Gallery

In 1990, a group of assistants and students from the State Higher School of Fine Arts were granted the right to use the premises on the first floor of the Student House at 13/16 Chlebnicka Street. From then on, the artistic activities organised by Wyspa took place in two locations: on Wyspa Spichrzów and in the new gallery space, which also served as office facilities. (...) We wanted the change in the space we used to transform the nature of our projects. We intended to involve students and young artists, especially those from the Other Media Studio operating at the State Higher School of Fine Arts. Based on workshops and educational projects, the gallery's programme was to interact with the official conservative programme of the university. (...) Our local activities were to refer both to the Polish art scene and to important themes in contemporary European reflection on art. We considered it very important to establish contacts with domestic and foreign art centres, universities and galleries. This was to result in the possibility of presenting the works of Gdańsk artists on a national and international arena and inviting artists from other countries to Gdańsk. Over time, these activities evolved into international seminars and workshops, involving artists and architects in discussions on the visual and aesthetic shape of the city.