Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series on Poland: Solidarity Movement in Pictures
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| Venue: | FIU-MMC-SIPA II-Room 102 |
Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series on Poland
Solidarity Movement in Pictures
Join the Green School for a special presentation by Polish artist Maciej Aleksandrowicz, featuring his remarkable collection of photographs documenting Poland's Solidarity movement, a key force in challenging communist rule. Captured by eyewitnesses during a pivotal moment in Poland’s history, these images illuminate the power of collective action and the resilience of ordinary citizens demanding freedom and dignity. Through visual storytelling, the collection transcends language, allowing history to be experienced as well as remembered. Each photograph conveys not only the struggle of the era but also the enduring spirit of hope, offering profound insight into the transformative power of images in shaping memory. These remarkable images will feature in a compelling exhibition entitled Fragments of a Disappearing World.
Presented in collaboration with
College of Architecture + The Arts
American Institute of Polish Culture, Inc.
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Wednesday, November 5 | 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Green School International Pavilion (SIPA II, Room 102)
Florida International University
11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199
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Guest speaker
Prof. Maciej Aleksandrowicz is a professor of fine arts specializing in sculpture and public art. He studied at the Faculty of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and at the Institute of Art History at the University of Warsaw. His research and artistic work focus on public space and site-specific art practices, particularly in relation to historical memory and civic identity. He has received multiple creative fellowships from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (2008, 2019) and was a Kościuszko Foundation fellow in New York, conducting research on public art in the United States. He has participated in numerous exhibitions and sculpture competitions and leads public art workshops exploring the role of memory in contemporary space. Prof. Aleksandrowicz teaches in the Spatial Design Studio at the Faculty of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. From 2020 to 2025, he served as Director of the Centre of Polish Sculpture in Orońsko, where he also oversaw the editorial direction of Orońsko Quarterly and curated the national investment program Sculpture in Public Space for Independence, aimed at supporting local communities through public art initiatives.
Moderator
Prof. Jacek J. Kolasiński is an interdisciplinary artist, designer, and curator whose creative practice spans transdisciplinary collaboration, multimedia installations, and socially engaged projects. His work often focuses on the convergence of space, memory, and public interaction, blending archival materials with spatial practices that connect artistic inquiry to the urban and social fabric. His curatorial and artistic projects have been presented nationally and internationally, and his ongoing Creole Archive Project investigates transnational connections between Poland and the Global South, particularly Haiti. Originally from Poland, Prof. Kolasiński studied history and philosophy at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, received his MFA from Florida International University, and earned a Ph.D. from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. He is the founding director of the Ratcliffe Incubator of Art + Design at FIU’s College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts, and previously served as chair of the Department of Art + Art History.
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Opening Reception
Fragments of a Disappearing World
Fragments of a Disappearing World is a curated exhibition centered on the private photographic archive of Stanisław Kołodziejski, documenting daily life in Poland during the transformative period of the 1980s. This body of work captures the lived experience of ordinary citizens amid the fall of communism, the nation’s pursuit of autonomy, and the subsequent disillusionment with the collapsing Soviet regime. This exhibition presents the archive not only as a historical artifact, but as an artistic medium—a dynamic and participatory memorial form. Positioned at the intersection of personal narrative and collective history, the project is led by two curators and artists: Prof. Maciej Aleksandrowicz and Prof. Jacek J. Kolasiński.
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MBUS Design Gallery
Opening Reception: Friday, November 7 | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
FIU Miami Beach Urban Studio
420 Lincoln Road, Suite 440, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Click here to RSVP for the lecture on November 5
Click here to RSVP for the opening reception on November 7 \
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Co-sponsors:
- Dorothea Green Lecture Series
- Ruth K. & Shepard Broad Distinguished Lecture Series
- Václav Havel Program for Human Rights & Democracy
- Department of Politics & International Relations
- GREEN SCHOOL Asian Studies Program
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Should you need an ADA accommodation to participate in a university event, program, or activity or need to request materials in an accessible format, please contact FIU’s Office of Civil Rights Compliance and Accessibility (CRCA) at 305-348-2785 or accommodations@fiu.edu. All requests for ADA accommodation or accessible materials for this event must be submitted to CRCA at least seven (7) business days prior to the event or at the earliest possible opportunity.
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