K&K Art Galeria » BEAUTY AND DREAD

BEAUTY AND DREAD

Tytuł

09 June 2026

MIEJSCE WYSTAWY -

CZAS TRWANIA-

WERNISAŻ -

The reflections that inspired me for the exhibition “Beauty, Dread and Freedom” were my own thoughts and Józef Tischner’s Philosophy of Drama

I live and create in a world full of tension, dread and freedom. Between what is known and what is undiscovered. Between security and risk. Between beauty that delights and dread that compels us to ask questions. It is in this very space that I find freedom.
As I speak, the image before my eyes changes, and something inside me imperceptibly shifts. Thoughts, feelings and the desire to act are among the most profound experiences of personal freedom for me. The act of creating is not merely about building images, forms or meanings. Above all, it is an encounter with oneself. When I leave my comfort zone, I enter a realm of uncertainty. I never fully know
what the outcome of my work will be, and yet I take the risk. It is precisely in this risk that I find freedom.
This is the fullest description of my experience of creating. As the work comes into being, I too am transformed.
For me, freedom is not a state achieved once and for all. It is a path of continual becoming, crossing my own boundaries and discovering new possibilities through actions such as “The Tower of Babel” (Genesis 11:1–9).
In this experience, I feel close to the philosophy of Józef Tischner, who wrote: “Freedom is not arbitrariness.”
These words remind me that freedom does not mean the absence of boundaries or the ability to do anything.
It is responsibility for one’s own choices and a willingness to bear their consequences.
Tischner also said: “Man is a dramatic being.”
I find the essence of the creative process in this sentence. Every sculpture and performance is an encounter with the unknown; every decision is a choice between different possibilities. Creating thus becomes a drama in the deepest sense of the word—a space for seeking the truth about oneself and the world.
That is why dread is not the opposite of freedom for me. Dread arises when I am faced with a choice. It is the shadow of freedom, its inseparable companion. I feel it because I know that my decisions matter. Without the possibility of choice, there would be neither dread nor dignity.
Art reveals to me the meaning of freedom, not all-encompassing censorship. It is an experience that takes me beyond everyday life and lets me perceive a deeper dimension of reality. Reality does not enslave—it invites. It does not compel—it opens up a space for choice. In encountering the beauty of nature, I discover that life can be more than mere existence. It can be a creative act of giving meaning to the world and to my own existence.
Between beauty and dread stretches a space of freedom and enslavement. Beauty gives me courage, while dread gives me responsibility for myself and others. One without the other would be incomplete. Beauty without dread could become an illusion, while dread without beauty would lead to despair. Only their coexistence allows me to mature.
Creating is therefore an act of freedom, not because it lets me do anything, but because it allows me to discover the truth about myself. Every step beyond the limits of my own habits is a small victory over fear. Every work becomes a testament to the fact that I am not confined to who I was yesterday.
I also feel close to Józef Tischner’s words: “Freedom is a way in which goodness exists.”

I understand them as a call to continually choose what is authentic, truthful and creative.
Freedom is not a gift received once and for all. It is a task. It is the courage to look at the changing image of the world while also listening closely to the subtle chirping of the birds of transformation taking place within oneself. It is a readiness to change.
Where I encounter beauty and do not flee from dread, there my freedom begins.

Jan Kubicki Mitaś