Marta Grabowska
Curatorial Activism
since 2020
Red Zenith Collective is a dedicated platform for empowering and supporting women, female-identifying and non-binary creatives from Eastern and Central Europe, with events to encourage collaborative learning and promote cultural understanding. It was founded by Marta Grabowska, an independent Polish curator and Zula Rabikowska, Polish photographer.
Virtual Slow Art Day
4 April 2020
Slow Art Day is an international celebration of the Slow Art movement, championing the ideas of contemplation and slow looking. Hundreds of galleries, museums and art organisations, such as MoMA, Tate Moder or Photographer's Gallery take part in every year. This year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the event was moved online.
I oversaw, hosted and participated as a speaker (watch my talk here), in this virtual event, that brought together the two art organisations that I work for - co-funded by me ONE Project and artBLAB that I curate.
since 2016
ONE Project is a creative duo with an innovative approach to presenting and perceiving art, championing and researching the notion of Slow Art. Together with Magdalena Zoledz, we curate a program of exhibitions, art residencies and events that centre around the idea of showcasing one artwork.
since 2019
artBLAB runs a series of laid-back lectures about art and its whereabouts. On the artBLAB events, artists and art professionals representing various disciplines come together to celebrate creativity.
I was approached by the founder, Michal Piotrowski, and in July 2019 I delivered a talk about Independent Curating.My participation in the event was followed by a proposition to curate the future line-up and exhibitions. I am responsible for researching and liaising with potential speakers, and share the duties of designing the promo materials, composing interview questions and updating the social media.
I have also created the #artblabonline series that will run for the period of the pandemic and host artists and art professionals based in the UK and abroad.
Christmas Jumper Workshop
4 December 2019
Together with artist Tomke Giersdorf, we organised a Christimas Jumper Workshop that took place on the 4th of December 2019 and was our response to the consumerist propaganda of big clothing retailers, who want you to spend hundreds of pounds every year on props and Xmas merch. As an alternative, we proposed the use of second-hand jumpers and decorating it with provided by us eco-materials.
Kookaburra Gallery
2018 - 2020
Kookaburra Gallery is an online art platform that emerged from the need to find a flexible and alternative exhibition space in London, a city packed with unaffordable and unfriendly to artists and audiences alike, commercial galleries.
The first series of exhibitions included works by invited by me Polish photographers: Pawel Piotrowski, Patrycja Bramora, Izabela Jastrzebska and Kinga Swietek.
Speed Networking for Creatives
2014 - 2015
Speed Networking for Creatives was my first attempt at independent curating. The event was aiming to bring together art professionals and art lovers who represented various categories of the art industry. It took place in Ziferblat London.
