The Young Poland Group of Five

A group of young rebel artists - Leopold Gottlieb, Witold Wojtkiewicz, Wlastimil Hofman, Mieczysław Jakimowicz and Jan Rembowski - formed an artistic ensemble, active between October 1905 and February 1908, now mostly consigned to oblivion. Their joint initiatives, in which they tried to break the mould of the art at the time, which was burdened with national, patriotic and social mission, date back to the early 20th century. At the outset of their artistic careers, graduates of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków defied the purposefulness of art and decided not to pursue its prescribed goals. Their attitude, which took the form of an open rebellion against the “Sztuka” Society of Polish Artists and the strict academic rules, was part of the current of transformations in modern European art promoting human agency and striving for unrestricted, direct expression. It bridged the gap between the late phase of Young Poland period and early Expressionism with the symbolism of mood. By showcasing many works which are displayed in Poland for the first time in 120 years, the exhibition charts the development of five creative personalities brought together by the idea of finding their own ways to express their thoughts over a period that started in 1900 and ended during World War I.