The "Early Works" exhibition in Belgrade: sculptures by Piotr Kowalski and photographs by Pavle Nikolić

From 13 December 2025 to 23 January 2026, Belgrade hosts a unique exhibition in two acts that brings together sculpture by Polish artist Piotrek Kowalski and photographs by Serbian artist Pavle Nikolić. Presented across two urban venues – Čubra in Gradić Pejton and Autokomanda at Tikveška 1 – the exhibition highlights the contrast between everyday forms and a conceptual approach to art. The project is co-organized by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

Sculpture and Photography Combined: Piotrek Kowalski and Pavle Nikolić

The exhibition “Early Works” presents a selection of works by both artists across two spaces in Belgrade, juxtaposing practices from two different countries, working in different media and driven by distinct artistic interests. Piotrek Kowalski from Warsaw explores the relationship between nature and urban space in his practice. Working with objects and sculpture, he analyzes the impact of infrastructure and spatial conditions on human behavior. In his projects he tests the possibility of creating shelters and uses waste materials and everyday objects.

By contrast, Pavle Nikolić from the city of Niš in Serbia works with photography and video, investigating fundamental human tensions – authority and powerlessness, domination and submission, aggression and passivity. He examines the interaction of these forces, using the constructive and transformative potential of media to capture the moment in which they mutually transform each other. 

In “Early Works” both artists demonstrate that art does not need to be serious or monumental. It can be small, personal, and everyday while still addressing important issues. The intimate spaces of Čubra and Autokomanda resonate with the works, emphasizing the artists’ distance from rigidity; the exhibition has nothing in common with stiff, monumental production. In the context of contemporary art, the term “early works” refers to pieces created at the beginning of an artistic career. An exhibition with such a title usually functions as a mini-retrospective or an overview of the initial stages of creative development. In this case, however, the title has a conceptual and ironic dimension – it references institutional language, imagining a future retrospective of the artists, while simultaneously questioning traditional notions of value and monumentality through para-institutional formats and the deliberate dispersion of the exhibition across two spaces.

Intimate Art and a Shift in Perspective in “Early Works” –  the Retrospective Dimension of the Exhibition and an Ironic Approach to Art

The works presented in the exhibition are not new, and therefore truly possess a retrospective character, yet the intimacy they propose contrasts with formal language. Traditional understandings of sculpture suggest a monumental work created by the skilled hand of the artist. Piotrek Kowalski challenges this convention by using familiar, everyday shapes – drops, bowling pins, footprints, or keyholes. At Autokomanda on Tikveška 1, the installation enters into dialogue with these forms, creating a dioramic space in which the viewer can change perspective and scale of perception. The sense of time present in the works is emphasized by paper elements rotating on roller blinds, accompanied by a pair of keys and a digital clock set one hour ahead.
In Pavle’s photographic series “False Friends”, seemingly expansive landscapes is in fact reveal hidden, shallow spaces beneath beds. The photographs are displayed one after another, creating a miniaturization effect that requires the viewer to adopt the same position as the photographer – lying on the floor.

In the Čubra space in Gradić Pejton, the installations become an extension of the venue itself – a combination of a meeting space, office, and workshop located in a former pharmacy. The arrangement takes into account existing architectural elements, emphasizing the deliberate placement of the works and the idea of “feeling” the space within the artworks themselves. Piotrek Kowalski’s sculptures, made from everyday objects – found or transformed – suggest relationships with human experience, such as perception or functionality, while being devoid of traditional utilitarian logic. Similarly, Pavle’s photographs challenge both the space they occupy and the places they depict, exploring the relativism of perception. It is art that invites you to change your perspective.

“Early Works” Exhibition Featuring a Polish Artist in Belgrade, Serbia

• Artists: Piotrek Kowalski, Pavle Nikolić
• Dates: 13 December 2025 – 23 January 2026
• Venues: Čubra in Gradić Pejton and Autokomanda at Tikveška 1, Belgrade, Serbia
• More information: www.autokomanda11010.com
• The project is co-organized by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, and supported by the Polish Institute in Belgrade.