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Zdzisław Pacholski is an artist who has been focusing nearly from the start of his creative career on the leading aspects of photography which is perceived as a means of not so much presentation as development of an important reflection in conceptualism. The artist from Koszalin has articulated these themes in many series of works, which were based on the tension between an object and its visual representation, although the broadly perceived archaeology and topology of visibility seem to be equally important. The undoubted advantage of the work of Zdzisław Pacholski is that he eagerly reaches out to the realities of the surrounding world, which in its own way generously “duplicates” and brands things, and sometimes also adds its sociological commentary. However, the artist’s distinctive features undoubtedly include the meta-artistic issues of the functioning of photography as a medium and the ideas represented in it. This is confirmed by the doubts formulated by Zdzisław Pacholski as to the possibility or adequacy of representation, which take the form of an ontological question about identity of artwork or even culture in general. It is evident that the artist is fascinated by the semantic aspect and tautological procedures of photography, however equally intense are his tendencies to refer directly to the matter of the world and the emotions that fill it – hence the nostalgia and affirmation of the world he depicts. For the same reason, there are individual works or cycles in Pacholski’s oeuvre in which there is a need to refer to the realm of the Real, which in times of crisis or the awareness of passing, touches both man and his environment in a particularly acute manner. It seems that the works of Zdzisław Pacholski somehow comment on this drama and on the existential dimension of the contemporary crisis, which the artist illustrates by creating an endearing, yet universal, narrative about human fate which is entangled in both local and global histories.

Zdzisław Pacholski (born in 1947 in Osieki) – a photographic artist, member of the Association of Polish Artists and Designers since 1977, organizer of various artistic events (including exhibitions from the “Revision” series 1977-79). He was an activist and strong advocate of independent culture activist during the 1981-83 Martial Law period in Poland. He has participated in numerous exhibitions in Poland and around the world (including the São Paulo Biennale in 1989). Honorary member of the German Welbergener Kreis Association. In 2008, he was awarded the medal of Waldemar Kućka, which is presented to outstanding Polish photographer. Commissioner and participant of the exhibition “70 years of Polish photo avant-garde” shown in Bergkamen and Rheine, Germany 1991.