“Paper cuttings are a powerful expression of both Polish and Jewish culture,” said Princess Irina zu Sayn-Wittgenstein at the opening of Smoke (Dym), an exhibition of intricate works inspired by Polish and Jewish folk motifs from the Lublin region. The event took place on Thursday, August 14, at the Celejowska Tenement, a branch of the Vistula River Museum in Kazimierz Dolny.
Crossing cultural boundaries
Dr. Dorota Seweryn-Puchalska, curator of the exhibition and representative of the Celejowska Tenement branch of the museum, emphasized that the show is part of the International Festival IMAGINE Culture without Borders. The festival is organized by the IMAGINE Culture without Borders Foundation, headed by Princess Irina, who has Polish roots and has long been active in promoting Poland around the world. She co-founded the festival with Elżbieta Chojnowska and Severyn Ashkenazy, who also inspired the creation of the exhibition.
A culture without borders
“The foundation’s name is significant today,” Seweryn-Puchalska said. “We dream of a world where there are no boundaries in culture. Art is universal — it is the language of the world. Even if we don’t understand certain symbols, our sensitivity allows us to grasp their meaning. Art connects us.”
The exhibition takes place in a building that has served as a hub for young artists and innovative ideas since the 19th century. “We want to continue inviting contemporary artists who have much to say and express their reflections on the world through art,” the curator added.
The universal language of paper cuttings
“Paper cuttings contain many of the ideas that are central to culture and art today — including the balance between humanity and nature,” Seweryn-Puchalska said.
The exhibition’s author, Agata Marchlewicz from Poznań, draws on the folk tradition of Polish paper cutting but works beyond the strict rules of the craft. Smoke, her current exhibition, features several dozen cuttings and sketches on paper. Its title refers to the interplay between the living and organic, as well as the ephemeral.
Her work also connects with Kazimierz Dolny’s Jewish heritage. Paper cuttings were once a significant part of local Jewish culture, often rich in religious symbolism. Traditionally, they were displayed in windows during holidays as symbolic decorations.
While Marchlewicz does not directly use traditional Jewish symbols, she interprets them through her artistic expression, creating a contemporary dialogue with the past.
Second edition of a unique festival
The second edition of the IMAGINE Culture without Borders Festival runs until August 17. Full details are available at culturewithoutborders.eu, and admission to all concerts is free of charge. The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) is a partner of the event.
At the exhibition’s opening, KUL Rector Rev. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski was represented by Rev. Dr. Paweł Rytel-Andrianik, Director of the Abraham J. Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations at KUL.
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