The Case of Stanisław Pyjas

In 1977, Cracovian student Stanisław Pyjas was murdered by the security services. The case has never been fully solved, and ongoing attempts to uncover the truth keep coming up against further unknowns. His death shook academic circles and Kraków as a whole, and marked the start of the opposition movement in Kraków with the launch of the Student Committee of Solidarity. In recent years, Dorota Nieznalska – artist whose works explore themes of war, religion and death – has been conducting her own investigation, mainly in the archies of the Institute of National Remembrance. She has prepared the multimedia exhibition The Case of Stanisław Pyjas, on show at Bunkier Sztuki from 21 August. The gallery director Maria Anna Potocka explains that the exhibition represents a new trend in art, in which archival materials are the starting point. They allow artists to convey their own emotions and beliefs while preserving historical truth. The exhibition includes documents, film footage and photos, as well as excerpts from Pyjas’ diaries, revealing him as a man seeking spiritual freedom in an oppressed society. (Dorota Dziunikowska. “Karnet” monthly)