About
The Raster Gallery is among the pioneers and leaders of the Central European contemporary art market, and one of the world's most recognizable galleries from Poland. For over ten years the gallery has maintained a significant presence on the international art scene, cooperating with the most significant institutions and collections, taking part in major art fairs, representing accomplished artists from Poland and abroad. The gallery's exhibition activities span Europe, Asia and the Americas, while striving to support and develop Warsaw's local art scene. Raster also publishes art editions and other publications, along with contributing to local and international education programs.
The Raster Gallery was founded as an extension of existing projects initiated by two art critics, Łukasz Gorczyca and Michał Kaczyński - namely, the Raster art magazine and the Naświetlarnia (meaning: Exposure Room) garage gallery. From the beginning, its goal has been to promote artists of the young generation and it has fostered the early careers of such artists as Michał Budny, Rafał Bujnowski, Aneta Grzeszykowska and Wilhelm Sasnal. The gallery also represents established artists of the middle and elder generations, such as Zbigniew Libera and the historically significant Kwiekulik duet. The gallery programme continues to grow, drawing in new, intriguing and dynamic figures of the international art scene, such as the Slavs and Tatars collective, Eva Kotatkova and Ragnar Kjartansson.
The gallery's independent initiatives include the innovative series of international art projects presented under the Villa heading (hitherto presented in Warsaw, Tokyo and Reykjavík), produced in collaboration with the most dynamic young galleries from around the world. Within the framework of Villa, the gallery pursues creative alternatives to the institutional art market, uncovering in the process the potential of local art scenes and developing an international exchange for art based on experimental forms and its social aspects.
Raster Editions represents the gallery's publishing activities in photography, graphic works, print publications and other editorial formats as limited edition series produced in cooperation with the most intriguing Polish artists across generations.
The gallery's publishing program is focused on the production and distribution of monographic materials featuring the works of artists affiliated with the gallery, art books, as well as music and literary works, supplemented by a series dedicated to the cultural identity of Warsaw. Publications in this series focus on lesser-known, original documentation and research on the city's urban space, its architecture and visual culture, as well as its material and literary heritage. All the books published by the gallery are distinguished by a high level of quality with regard to quality, graphic layout and print technology.
