November 12, 2026 – poetry reading with Krzysztof Grzechowiak titled “Irreversible Losses.” Readings by the author and Jan Kaja.

Krzysztof Grzechowiak – born October 1, 1955, in Września. Poet, reviewer, bibliophile. He made his debut in 1980 in *Radar*. He has published in *Nurcie*, “Okolice,” “Tytuł,” “Zeszyty Poetyckie,” “Okolica Poetów,” “Akancie,” “Kwartalnik Wrzesiński,” the philosophers’ journal “Filo-Sofija,” *Topos*, and in daily newspapers. His poems were included in the almanac of young Greater Poland poetry *Przedpole* (Poznań Publishing House, 1986). He published the poetry pamphlets *Wersja ostateczna* – (Drzewo, 1986), “Opis walki” (MOK Gniezno, 1989), and the poetry collection “Regalia” - (Galeria Autorska, Bydgoszcz 2005), for which he received the Strzała Łuczniczki Award (2005) for the best book of the year in Bydgoszcz. In the 1980s, he was associated with the NGP Drzewo literary group. Winner of the grand prize in the A. and S. Babiński Poetry Competition (1990). He was honored with the Srebrna Śliwka Award (Wrzesnia Artist of the Year 2007). In 2022, he published the collection *Zaległe terminy* (Galeria Autorska, Bydgoszcz).

(…) Krzysztof Grzechowiak’s poems, despite their melancholic tone, are not complaints, lamentations, or jeremiads. They are works that are confessional in their own way, yet at the same time analytical and revelatory. A single case is examined in them as a manifestation of a more general rule, as an exemplification of many similar existential versions and variants. And it is precisely this ability to generalize from the particular—to situate an individual situation within literary and cultural contexts (the prodigal son, the dethroned ruler, the desert of reality)—is what makes Krzysztof Grzechowiak’s poems a message: vivid, credible, and compelling.

Grzegorz Kociuba

(…) Grzechowiak—he is able to place numerous gateways in his poems that open up successive layers of meaning. Paradoxically, the poetry of one who does not describe the world is remarkably descriptive and clings to details like ivy, sometimes winding its way through elaborate metaphors. This is poetry that stands on the side of reason, an inscription composed of pebbles that, after being rolled around in the mouth for a long time, have lost their sharp edges but not their weight. A coherent, well-thought-out collection. Poems that are understandable yet not easy. (…)

Jarosław Jakubowski

(…) Grzechowiak’s poems are a conscientious and substantive spiritual account by a poet who perceives—albeit on a horizon that is still far off —the approaching end of his earthly journey and, in a poignant way, through intricate lyrical writings, shares with readers his reflections and feelings connected to the “path” —a path that ahead “descends / and offers no consolation.” This is poetry that is very controlled and balanced, not shying away from allusions to traditional lyric poetry (…)

Mieczysław Orski

(…) Grzechowiak’s poetry is ambiguous. On the one hand, it depicts a postmodern man immersed in an “axiological fog”; on the other hand, it can be understood as an encouragement to “go further,” that is, to break through nihilism, pessimism, and skepticism toward a new, so to speak, resurrected humanity, in which the fear of death is not the final word.

Grzegorz J. Grzmot-Bilski

(…) The poet from Września emerges as a keen observer of the changes taking place in the contemporary world. It is a world post mortem Dei. Grzechowiak recognizes that humanity is deeply affected by loneliness, a lack of meaning, and a sense of alienation. All of this is accompanied by the collapse of community and the fading of spiritual bonds. People are turning away from values. The poet skillfully captures the mood of a lost individual who is behaving more and more irrationally.

Bartłomiej Siwiec

I cannot—because I am unable to, or perhaps, in truth, I do not want to—free myself from or distance myself from these moving poems. Krzysztof Grzechowiak doesn’t make anything up, doesn’t scheme, and doesn’t pander to interpreters or critics who, in essence, rely on boring formulas. "Overdue Deadlines" is a testament to artistic maturity, which is also evident in the fact that Grzechowiak does not seek the approval of any particular “salon” circles, nor does he aspire to anything fleeting. The experience of loneliness, an awareness of the inevitable end without despair, but also a quiet, gentle rebellion—a struggle for the right to permanently preserve the uniqueness carried within—are the hallmarks of this excellent collection.

Maciej Krzyżan

(…) Pessimism and a lack of illusions go hand in hand here with fidelity to the old cultural code, which is now the last antidote to the “poison of the times.” A civilizational catastrophe is unfolding every day, right before our eyes, and nothing can stop it; all we can do is cling to the works of the old masters, correct syntax, and the principles of logic—the poet seems to say.

While in *Regalia* Grzechowiak crafted the poetic subject as a Beckett-Różewicz-esque king of a civilizational wasteland, *Overdue Deadlines* is already an act of abdication even from this dubious honor. What remains is a bare existence, in which the remnants of essence have somehow survived deep within. Here, the only thing at stake is poetry itself, while the poet refuses to participate in any races or struggles “for the title,” departing “in the end, defiantly: sticking out his tongue.” This ambiguous phrase encompasses both artistic freedom and—quite seriously—a poetic testament.

Jarosław Jakubowski

November 12, 2026, 6:00 p.m. – opening of the exhibition titled “A Flash of Memory – A Photographic Portrait of Marceli Bacciarelli (1939–1996)”– marking the 30th anniversary of the critic’s death.

Marceli Witold Bacciarelli (1939–1996), a well-known and highly regarded art critic, cultural columnist, and newspaper journalist in Bydgoszcz and throughout Poland. A descendant of the painter Marcello Bacciarelli (1731 Rome – 1818 Warsaw), who, among other works, painted a portrait of King Stanisław August Poniatowski. He was born on September 16, 1939, in bombed-out Warsaw, which, as he often emphasized, was still free at the time. From 1952 onward, he lived with his family in Bydgoszcz. He graduated from High School No. 1 (1958). After graduating from high school, he studied mechanical engineering at the Gdańsk University of Technology. While already working as a journalist, he studied art history as an external student at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and journalism as a part-time student at the University of Warsaw. From 1963 to 1965, he initially worked as a draftsman at the Military Design Bureau in Bydgoszcz, while simultaneously collaborating with the editorial staff of *Gazeta Pomorska*, writing art reviews. From 1965 to 1969, he worked as a journalist at that publication, assigned to cover local community events. He then worked as a freelance writer, publishing opinion pieces on art in national magazines. From 1973 to 1990, he worked as a columnist for the socio-political weekly “Fakty i Myśli,” which was later renamed “Fakty.” The weekly ceased publication in 1990. From 1991 until his death in 1996, he was employed at “Ilustrowany Kurier Polski” as a technical editor, briefly as head of the city news department, a journalist, and a columnist (including “Meanderki” and “Gospodarka głupcze”).

From June 1973, he was an active member of the Polish section of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA, Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art, operating under the patronage of UNESCO), on whose behalf he participated in international art congresses in Stockholm, Berlin, and Helsinki. He also took part in the “Documenta” art festival in Kassel. As an art critic, he curated exhibitions in the “Art Critics Present” series at numerous venues across the country, as well as exhibitions organized by the Association of Polish Visual Artists and the BWA; he was also the author of numerous texts in exhibition catalogs and studies on the region’s visual arts. His main areas of interest were contemporary visual arts and photography. He published in the local press (“Gazeta Pomorska,” “Fakty i Myśli,” “Fakty,” “Ilustrowany Kurier Polski”) and in national publications, including “Odra,” “Nurt,” “Fotografia,” “Sztuka Polska,” “Współczesność,” “Sztandar Młodych,” and “Politechnik.” He was also a member of the “Kuźnica” Association in Kraków.

In his youth, he was an activist in the Film Discussion Clubs movement and a speaker at the “Rondo” Film Discussion Club in Bydgoszcz. He participated in the international congress of the Film Discussion Clubs movement in Cheb, Czechoslovakia.

As a music lover, he took a keen interest in jazz and so-called “classical” music, particularly contemporary works. He regularly attended concerts and music festivals organized by the Pomeranian Philharmonic, as well as jazz concerts; he traveled to Warsaw for “Warsaw Autumn” and to the jazz festivals “Jazz Jamboree,” and to Wrocław for “Jazz on the Oder.” In the 1980s, at the request of Andrzej Szwalbe, director of the Pomeranian Philharmonic, he wrote a text for the catalog of four tapestries by Tadeusz Brzozowski “Shrovetide Quartet,” which hung in the lobby of the concert hall—a text exploring the connections between music and the visual arts. He amassed an extensive library and music collection. His home still houses a collection of approximately 500 vinyl records and about 100 CDs featuring works by, among others, Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, Handel, Vivaldi, Palestrina, Mozart, Rossini, Tchaikovsky, Górecki, as well as Miles Davis, Jan Garbarek, Keith Jarrett, Lester Young, Ray Charles, Pat Metheny, and Chris Corea... Music was always playing in the house. During his illness, he listened primarily to Beethoven—mainly the Ninth Symphony—and Leonard Cohen. Until the very last days before his death, he read “Jazz Forum.”

In his youth, he enjoyed hiking and road trips; he was active in the PTTK (Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society), serving, among other roles, as a member of the youth tourism committee of the Provincial Board in Bydgoszcz. He organized youth hiking trips in the Krajna region. He had hiked several thousand kilometers in the mountains (mainly in his beloved Tatra Mountains, as well as the Beskids and Bieszczady Mountains), in Pomerania, Greater Poland, and along the coast. He was a hiking and mountaineering guide. Road trips took him to Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Lithuania, East Germany, and Yugoslavia. He also traveled to Italy (Rome, Sardinia) and Spain (Madrid) as a tourist. Everywhere he went, he took an interest in architecture and, above all, visited museums and art galleries.

For his work as an art critic, he received the main award from the section for art criticism and promotion of the visual arts of the Cultural Journalism Club of the Association of Polish Journalists, the “Złocisty Jantar 89,” for an essay submitted to an artistic photography competition. He was awarded the Silver (1978) and Gold Cross of Merit (1983), the PTTK Silver Badge (1969), the “Distinguished Cultural Activist” badge (1976), the honorary badge “For Exceptional Contributions to the Development of the Bydgoszcz Province,” and others.

After a two-year battle with lung cancer, he died on April 1, 1996. He was buried at the Nowofarny Cemetery on Artyleryjska Street in Bydgoszcz.

K.R.-B.

* * *

In my view, an art critic is not a representative of any legal specialty: not a judge handing down verdicts, not a prosecuting attorney, and not a defense attorney. Nor is an art critic a university professor to whom a “student”—the artist—brings a “transcript”—an exhibition—and who then marks it as “pass” or “fail.” Nor is it someone who hands out “grades.” I know that such models of criticism exist, and I also know that this is a common perception of the critic among many artists. But I try to challenge this understanding of criticism.

So who is an art critic? In my opinion, they are just as much a viewer as anyone else, but they differ from many in that they are better able to articulate their experiences with art and express them in beautiful words. So this is someone who has a talent for translating images into words in an interesting way. Or, to put it another way—for translating iconic signs into semantic signs.

Who gave the critic the right to judge others? No one! But it’s not about judging works either, because art is also about revealing one’s attitude as a human being—and everyone has the right to judge everyone else. The conversation (if you can call it that) between the critic and the artist should be a dialogue (or, if necessary, a debate) of worldviews, attitudes, and intellectual orientations.

Why does criticism exist? Because there are people who feel an inner need to verbalize their own feelings toward art, and whose observations are worth sharing with others… And also—perhaps above all—because there are people who feel an inner need to read others’ reflections on art. That such people exist and will continue to exist—I have no doubt. How many are there? How should I know, but the needs of even a thousand people are still social needs.

Marceli Bacciarelli

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A Flash of Memory – A Photographic Portrait of Marceli Bacciarelli (1939–1996)

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