Carmen Ghia

Resident Art History Minor

Art student Andrzej Sobiepan didn’t want to wait decades for his work to appear in museums. So he took matters in his own hands, covertly hanging one of his paintings in a major Polish gallery.

Within days, the young artist was getting plenty of attention after a nationwide TV channel reported on his stunt at the National Museum in the southwestern city of Wroclaw. He told reporters he hoped galleries would give more exhibition space to young artists as a result.

“I decided that I will not wait 30 or 40 years for my works to appear at a place like this,” Sobiepan told TVN24. “I want to benefit from them in the here and now.”

Sobiepan, a Wroclaw Fine Arts Academy student whose last name means “his own master,” said he was inspired by the elusive British graffiti artist known only as Banksy. His own painting is small, white and green, and partly uses swine leather to show a drooping acacia leaf.

On Dec. 10, Sobiepan put it up in a room with contemporary Polish art when a guard at the museum was looking the other way. Museum officials didn’t notice the new painting for three days.

Museum director Mariusz Hermansdorfer told TVN24 that the action revealed some security breaches, but that he also considered it a “witty artistic happening.”

“It has shown that the young generation of artists, unlike their predecessors, want to see their works in museums,” Hermansdorfer said.

The museum has kept the painting on display — but in its cafe. It will be offered for sale at Poland’s biggest charity auction.

Sometimes we fail to notice just how much art is an intricate part of our lives. Art is all around us, from buildings and billboards to clothes and calendars. All these things had to be designed with a lot of artistic features being taken into consideration. Things like balance, color, materials, and aesthetics.

So, naturally, this young artist also wanted his artistic vision to be seen and appreciated. Having studied art, he understood the emotions that could be conveyed and the importance of expressing them visually.

When you also take into consideration how competitive the art market can be, getting noticed could become more and more difficult. And, unfortunately, it takes most artists years to  become “established,” and some of them may not have stuck around long enough to reap the benefits.

In fact, most of the famous artists who come to mind, like Picasso, Pollock, or Van Gogh for instance, were well into middle-age by the time they were renowned. That’s one reason to really admire Sobiepan for taking the initiative.
What’s really interesting, though, is that it took three days for anyone to notice. His art obviously was refined, blended in well, and did not stick out like a sore thumb!