Action art and live art in Poland.
Sztuka akcji i sztuka na żywo w Polsce.
“The goal is to create a fairly complete archive of the most important performances, artists and events from the genesis of this form of art in the 1960s down to the present day. The point of departure for the project is the documentation of performances already collected at the museum, included in the museum’s Filmoteka and Artist Archive, supplemented by dozens of new films and over one thousand of photos.
The archive is based mainly on the works of the classics of this genre, created from the 1960s to 1980s, such as Zbigniew Warpechowski, Włodzimierz Borowski, KwieKulik, Krzysztof Zarębski, Wojciech Bruszewski, Janusz Bałdyga, Józef Robakowski, Akademia Ruchu, Ewa Partum, Teresa Murak, Natalia LL, Zygmunt Piotrowski, Jerzy Bereś, Tadeusz Kantor, Tomasz Sikorski, Jerzy Truszkowski, Zbigniew Libera, Luxus, Zbyszko Trzeciakowski, Anna Płotnicka, Ewa Zarzycka, Artur Tajber, Wiktor Gutt, Grzegorz Kowalski, Jolanta Marcolla, Teresa Tyszkiewicz, and Adam Rzepecki….”
Sztuka akcji i sztuka na żywo w Polsce
At a glance: 147 artists and groups listed · earliest documented action 1966 · main archive: Polish Performance Archive · last updated October 2026
History
Performance in Poland grew up under state socialism, and that shaped it. With few official venues, artists worked in studios, student clubs and small independent galleries, and the action itself often became the artwork, the gallery and the message at once.
The first wave arrived in the mid-1960s. Włodzimierz Borowski staged his Syncretic Shows from 1966, Tadeusz Kantor brought the happening into his theatre work, and Zbigniew Warpechowski made his first performance in 1967. The 1970s were the form’s defining decade: conceptual and feminist practices took hold, artist-run galleries such as Remont in Warsaw hosted actions, and the 1978 Warsaw I AM meeting brought international artists to the city.
Martial law (1981–83) pushed work further underground and made it more openly political, culminating in the Orange Alternative’s absurdist street happenings in Wrocław in the late 1980s. After 1989, a new generation turned to the body, gender and national myth, often to public controversy, while festivals such as Castle of Imagination in Słupsk (from 1993) kept an international performance network alive. Today the Polish Performance Archive at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw documents the field from the 1960s onward.
Timeline
- 1960s — Borowski’s first Syncretic Show (1966); Tomasz Machciński begins his staged self-portraits (1966); Warpechowski’s first performance (1967); Jerzy Bereś’s first Manifestation (1968).
- 1970s — KwieKulik formed (1971); Krzysztof Wodiczko’s Vehicle (1971–73); Natalia LL’s Consumer Art and Teresa Murak’s first Seed (1972); Akademia Ruchu founded (1973); Ewa Partum’s Change (1974); Warsaw I AM international meeting (1978).
- 1980s — Orange Alternative founded in Wrocław (1980), street happenings 1985–90; Konger formed under martial law; Black Market International founded in Poznan (1985) with founders Boris Nieslony, Zygmunt Piotrowski, Tomas Ruller and Jürgen Fritz; Zbigniew Libera’s How to Train Little Girls (1987).
- 1990s — Castle of Imagination festival begins in Słupsk (1993); Alicja Żebrowska’s Original Sin (1993); Fort Sztuki founded in Kraków (1996); Katarzyna Kozyra’s Bathhouse (1997).
- 2000s — Julita Wójcik’s Peeling Potatoes at Zachęta (2001); new collectives such as Azorro and Sędzia Główny (early 2000s).
- Today — The Polish Performance Archive at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw documents work from the 1960s on.
Key figures
- Paweł Althamer (b. 1967) — Sculpture and collective, social actions.
- Jerzy Bereś (1930–2012) — Sculptor whose Manifestations turned the body into political testimony.
- Włodzimierz Borowski (1930–2008) — Syncretic Shows from 1966; a founder of Polish happening.
- Tadeusz Kantor (1915–1990) — Painter, theatre maker and author of Poland’s first happenings.
- Katarzyna Kozyra (b. 1963) — Body, gender and taboo; Bathhouse (1997).
- Zofia Kulik (b. 1947) — Half of KwieKulik; later photographic montage.
- Przemysław Kwiek (b. 1945) — Half of KwieKulik; conceptual and documentary practice.
- Zbigniew Libera (b. 1959) — Critical art of the 1980s–90s; How to Train Little Girls (1987).
- Natalia LL (1937–2022) — Feminist and conceptual artist; Consumer Art (1972).
- Teresa Murak (b. 1949) — Living works grown from cress seed on her body and clothes.
- Ewa Partum (b. 1945) — Feminist performance and poetry; Change (1974).
- Józef Robakowski (b. 1939) — Experimental film and video; Warsztat Formy Filmowej.
- Zbigniew Warpechowski (b. 1938) — Pioneer of Polish performance, active since 1967.
- Krzysztof Wodiczko (b. 1943) — Public projections and instruments; based in the US.
- Alicja Żebrowska (b. 1956) — Body and technology; Original Sin (1993).
Artist directory
Sorted by surname. Click a column heading to sort by years, first active or practice; click again to reverse.
| Name | Years | First active | Practice | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paweł Althamer | b. 1967 | 1990s | social practice, public space | link |
| Janusz Bałdyga | b. 1954 | 1970s | conceptual, body | link |
| Wojciech Bąkowski | b. 1979 | 2000s | sound, video/film | link |
| Jan Berdyszak | 1934–2014 | 1980s | link | |
| Jerzy Bereś | 1930–2012 | 1960s | political, ritual, body | link |
| Maria Bitka | 1986 | 2010s | political, body | link |
| Włodzimierz Borowski | 1930–2008 | 1960s | happening, conceptual | link |
| Marta Bosowska | link | |||
| Tatiana Czekalska | 1990s | conceptual, animal | link | |
| Oskar Dawicki | b. 1971 | 1990s | conceptual, humor/absurd | link |
| Andrzej Dudek-Dürer | b. 1953 | 1960s | ritual, durational, mail art | link |
| Henryk Gajewski | 1970s | conceptual, catalyst | link | |
| Leszek Golec | 1990s | conceptual, political | link | |
| Arti Grabowski | 1990s | body, humor/absurd | link | |
| Izabella Gustowska | b. 1948 | 1970s | video/film, feminist | link |
| Wiktor Gutt | b. 1949 | 1970s | ritual, body | link |
| Elżbieta Jabłońska | b. 1970 | 2000s | feminist, photo-performance | link |
| Marek Janiak | b. 1955 | 1970s | humor/absurd | link |
| Zuzanna Janin | b. 1961 | 1990s | body, video/film | link |
| Krzysztof Jung | 1951–1998 | 1970s | body, ritual | link |
| Tadeusz Kantor | 1915–1990 | 1960s | happening, theatre/movement | link |
| Ada Karczmarczyk | 2000s | body, humor/absurd | link | |
| Władysław Kaźmierczak | 1980s | conceptual | link | |
| Grzegorz Klaman | b. 1959 | 1980s | political, public space | link · more |
| Barbara Kozłowska | 1940–2008 | 1970s | conceptual, public space | link |
| Katarzyna Kozyra | b. 1963 | 1990s | body, video/film, feminist | link |
| Edward Krasiński | 1925–2004 | 1960s | conceptual, happening | link |
| Jacek Kryszkowski | 1958–2009 | 1980s | conceptual, humor/absurd, political | link |
| Aleksandra Kubiak | 2000s | feminist, body | link | |
| Zofia Kulik | b. 1947 | 1970s | conceptual, photo-performance, political | link |
| Anna Kutera | b. 1952 | 1970s | conceptual, photo-performance | link |
| Paweł Kwiek | b. 1951 | 1970s | video/film, conceptual | link |
| Przemysław Kwiek | b. 1945 | 1970s | conceptual, photo-performance, political | link · more |
| Andrzej Kwietniewski | 1970s | humor/absurd, political | link | |
| Zbigniew Libera | b. 1959 | 1980s | body, political, video/film | link |
| Natalia LL (Natalia Lach-Lachowicz) | 1937–2022 | 1970s | feminist, photo-performance, conceptual | link |
| Tomasz Machciński | b. 1942 | 1960s | photo-performance, outsider | link |
| Cecylia Malik | b. 1975 | 2000s | public space, political, environment | link |
| Joanna Malinowska | b. 1972 | 2000s | video/film, social practice | link · more |
| Jolanta Marcolla | b. 1950 | 1970s | video/film, photo-performance | link |
| Honorata Martin | b. 1984 | 2010s | body, public space | link · more |
| Andrzej Matuszewski | 1970s | conceptual | link | |
| Teresa Murak | b. 1949 | 1970s | ritual, body, feminist | link |
| Krzysztof Niemczyk | 1938–1994 | 1960s | happening | link |
| Paulina Ołowska | b. 1976 | 2000s | feminist | link |
| Andrzej Partum | 1938–2002 | 1970s | poetry/text, mail art, conceptual | link |
| Ewa Partum | b. 1945 | 1970s | feminist, poetry/text, conceptual | link |
| Włodzimierz Pawlak | b. 1957 | 1980s | link | |
| Maria Pinińska-Bereś | 1931–1999 | 1970s | feminist, body | link |
| Karol Radziszewski | b. 1980 | 2000s | queer, political | link |
| Joanna Rajkowska | b. 1968 | 2000s | public space, social practice | link |
| Józef Robakowski | b. 1939 | 1970s | video/film, conceptual | link |
| Zygmunt Rytka | 1947–2018 | 1970s | conceptual, photo-performance | link |
| Adam Rzepecki | b. 1950 | 1970s | humor/absurd, photo-performance | link |
| Tomasz Sikorski | 1939–1988 | 1960s | sound | link |
| Mikołaj Smoczyński | b. 1955 | 1980s | conceptual | link |
| Jan Świdziński | 1923–2014 | 1970s | conceptual | link |
| Andrzej Świetlik | 1970s | humor/absurd | link | |
| Artur Tajber | b. 1953 | 1970s | conceptual, durational | link |
| Waldemar Tatarczuk | 1990s | conceptual | link | |
| Jerzy Treliński | b. 1940 | 1970s | conceptual | link |
| Jerzy Truszkowski | b. 1961 | 1980s | body, political | link |
| Zbyszko Trzeciakowski | 1970s | conceptual | link | |
| Zbigniew Warpechowski | b. 1938 | 1960s | body, poetry/text, ritual | link |
| Monika Weiss | b. 1964 | 1990s | durational, sound | link |
| Andrzej Wielogórski (Makary) | 1970s | humor/absurd | link | |
| Andrzej Tadeusz Wirth | 1927–2019 | theatre/movement | link | |
| Krzysztof Wodiczko | b. 1943 | 1970s | public space, political, new media | link |
| Zorka Wollny | b. 1980 | 2000s | sound, public space | link |
| Julita Wójcik | b. 1971 | 2000s | social practice, public space | link |
| Piotr Wyrzykowski | 1990s | new media | link | |
| Krzysztof Zarębski | b. 1939 | 1970s | body, ritual | link |
| Alicja Żebrowska | b. 1956 | 1990s | body, feminist, video/film | link · more |
Groups and collectives
Sorted by name. Click a column heading to sort by date or practice; click again to reverse.
| Group | Founded / active | Practice | Members and notes | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akademia Ruchu | 1973 (founded) | theatre/movement, public space, political | founded by Wojciech Krukowski | link |
| Archiwum Kowalni | 1980s | conceptual | Grzegorz Kowalski’s studio, Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts | link · more |
| Azorro collective | 2001 (founded) | video/film, humor/absurd, conceptual | Oskar Dawicki, Igor Krenz, Wojciech Niedzielko, Łukasz Skąpski | link |
| Black Market International (BMI) | 1985 (founded) | durational, ritual, exchange of ideas | international collective | link |
| C.U.K.T. (Centralny Urząd Kultury Technicznej) | 1995 (founded) | new media, sound, virtual candidate | Piotr Wyrzykowski and others, Gdańsk | link |
| Zuza Golińska & Magdalena Łazarczyk | 2010s | conceptual, eastern europe | duo | link |
| Konger | during martial law (1981–83) | conceptual | co-founded by Artur Tajber and others | link |
| KwieKulik | 1971 (formed) | conceptual, photo-performance, political | Zofia Kulik, Przemysław Kwiek | |
| Łódź Kaliska | 1979 (founded) | humor/absurd, photo-performance, video/film | Marek Janiak, Adam Rzepecki, Andrzej Świetlik, Andrzej Kwietniewski, Andrzej Wielogórski | link |
| Pomarańczowa Alternatywa (Orange Alternative) | 1980 (founded); street happenings 1985–1990 | happening, political, public space, humor/absurd | founded by Waldemar “Major” Fydrych, Wrocław | link · more |
| Sędzia Główny | 2001 (founded) | feminist, body | Aleksandra Kubiak, Karolina Wiktor | link |
| Wspólnota Leeeżeć | 1980s | happening, humor/absurd | Gdańsk | link |
Festivals, venues and organizations
| Name | Type | City | Years | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warsaw I AM – International Artists Meeting | Festival | Warsaw | 1978 | Historic |
| Castle of Imagination – International Performance Art Festival | Festival | Słupsk | from 1993 | |
| International Ephemeral Art Festival in Sokołowsko | Festival | from 2013 | Active | |
| EPAF – European Performance Art Festival | Festival | 2006–2011 | Historic | |
| Interakcje | Festival | 1998–2014 | Historic | |
| Live Art Festival “Private Impact” | Festival | Historic | ||
| Międzynarodowy Festiwal Π Performance Intermedia | Festival | from 2003 | Active | |
| Performance Art Festival | Festival | Płock | from 2023 | Active |
| Galeria Remont | Gallery | Warsaw | 1970s | Historic |
| Galeria Labirynt | Gallery | Lublin | Active | |
| Wyspa / Instytut Sztuki Wyspa | Gallery / institute | Gdańsk | ||
| Fort Sztuki | Association | Kraków | from 1996 | |
| art OFFicyna | Gallery / institute | from 1998 | Active |
Archives and literature
- Polish Performance Archive — Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw [EN/PL]
- culture.pl — Adam Mickiewicz Institute [EN/PL]
- Performing the East: Performance Art in Russia, Latvia and Poland since 1980 — Amy Bryzgel, 2013 [EN]
- The Procedures of 1970s Art — Exhibition, Fundacja Profile [EN/PL]
Connections
Polish artists based abroad
- Dobrawa Borkała — based in Poland and France
- Anna Krenz — based in Germany
- Anna Łuczak — based in Netherlands
- Joanna Malinowska — based in United States
- Joanna Rajkowska — based in Poland and United Kingdom
- Monika Weiss — based in United States
- Krzysztof Wodiczko — based in United States
Related pages: Czechoslovakia (historic) · Czechia · Lithuania · Slovakia · Ukraine · Belarus
Help us research
We know these artists and groups are part of the story but have not yet gathered their details: Kinga Araya, Maria Bitka, Dobrawa Borkała, Przemysław Branas, Brzeg, Józef Bury, Izabela Chamczyk, Dasha Chechushkova, Anna Ciba, Ewa Ciepielewska, Alexander Del Re, Michał Dobrucki, Jarosław Fliciński, Dariusz Fodczuk, Angelika Fojtuch, Johnny Forever, Justyna Górowska, Polina Grinberg, Barbara Gryka, Peter Grzybowski, Edka Jarząb, Anna Kalwajtys, Antoni Karwowski, Paulina Kempisty, Marek Konieczny, Wojciech Kosma, Ola Kozioł, Zofia Krawiec, Anna Krenz, Karolina Kucia, Paweł Kwaśniewski, Iwona Lemke-Konart, Anna Łuczak, Jacek Malicki, Krzysztof Maniak, Kenny McBride, Martyna Miller, Stefan Mula, Małgorzata Mycek, Jerzy Onuch, Franciszek Orłowski, Marta Ostajewska, Andrzej Paruzel, Zygmunt Piotrowski, Anna Płotnicka, Aleka Polis, Martyna Przybyło, Marek Rogulski, Ewa Rybska, Alek Sarna, Joanna Stańko, Barbara Stańko-Jurczyńska, Janusz Szczerek, Tomasz Szrama, Asia Urbańska, Tomasz Wendland, Roman Woźniak, Ewa Zarzycka, Liliana Zeic, Marta Ziółek, Piotr Żyliński. Send us information.
Missing someone? Submit an artist. Last updated October 2026.