The exhibition "Works from Collection II of the Arsenał Gallery in Białystok" presents a selection of contemporary art by leading Polish and Eastern European artists, including Hubert Czerepok, Zhanna Kadyrova, Diana Lelonek, Lada Nakonechna, Marina Naprushina, Konrad Smoleński, Piotr Uklański. The collection is one of Poland’s most significant repositories of modern art, not only representing the Polish scene of the past 30 years but also showcasing art from Eastern Europe. The collection’s concept is based on the idea of an open gathering, creating multifaceted narratives that attempt to describe our current reality.
The exhibition addresses global issues such as the war in Ukraine, the frozen protests in Belarus, and political unrest in Tbilisi. These themes resonate with us, even if they are not our direct experiences. The title of the exhibition draws from Jonathan Lear’s book "Radical Hope", which explores three key questions: How to live in a world that has lost meaning? Can hope still exist in such a world? And, how can we express it? Lear’s insights suggest that to overcome existential impasses, we need a guide who can find new meanings and possibilities. The exhibition explores whether art and artists can play such a role by anticipating solutions to challenges that have yet to be addressed.