Michal Iwanowski

Michal Iwanowski (born 1977) is a Polish photographer and writer currently living in Cardiff, Wales.[1]

Michal Iwanowski
Born20 January 1977 (1977-01-20) (age 46)
Świebodzice
NationalityPolish / British
Known forPhotography
Websitemichaliwanowski.com

Life and work

Iwanowski studied a MFA in Documentary Photography, University of Wales, Newport 2008.[2]

Go home Polish

In April 2018, Iwanowski travelled on foot 1,900 km (1,200 mi) from Wales to Poland triggered by the message "Go home Polish" written on a wall in the Welsh capital that he saw in 2008.[3] The journey took 105 days to complete as Iwanowski travelled through England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic asking people he met about the concept of home.[4][5] Iwanowski says “The only way for me to find out where home was for me was to walk from my home in Cardiff where I have lived for 17 years, to the home of my birth in Poland, and to ask people along the way: ‘Where is it? Where is home? What does it mean if I tell you to go home?’” [6][7][8]

Clear of People

In 2013 Iwanowski walked 2,200 km (1,400 mi) to trace his grandfather's escape from a Russian gulag.[9] In 1945 Anatol and Wiktor Iwanowski escaped from a prisoner war camp in Kaluga, Russia, and walked over 2,200 km (1,400 mi) to make it back to Poland.[10] As fugitives, they walked only when it was dark and lived on what they could find along the journey. When they reached Wroclaw 90 days later, they were reunited with their families.[11] Iwanowski used a rough map found in his great uncle's diary, and went back to document the route through Russia, Belarus, Lithuania and Poland. His work was compiled in a new book, "Clear of People".[12][13][14]

Publications

  • Clear of People. Berlin. Brave Books. 2017. ISBN 978-3-00-053351-8. Edition of 700 copies.[15][16]

Collections

  • 2017: National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth
  • 2018: Museum Of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia
  • 2020: National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, Wales
  • 2020: Col·lecció d’Art Banc Sabadell, Spain

Selected Awards

  • 2008: Finalist in British Journal of Photography Project Assistance Award
  • 2009: Winner of Emerging Photographers 2009 by Magenta Foundation[17]
  • 2009: Honourable Mention at Px3 Prix De Photographie, Paris.[18]
  • 2016: Top 10 Books of 2016 for 'Post-war stories' at The New York Art Book Fair.[19]
  • 2017: Shortlisted for Die Schonsten Deutschen Bocher - The Best German Book Design 2017 for 'Clear of People.'
  • 2018: Longlisted for Deutsche Borse Photography Prize 2018 for the book 'Clear of People.[20]
  • 2020: Longlisted for Deutsche Borse Photography Prize 2020 for 'Go Home Polish' exhibition at Peckham24, London.

References

  1. "'Go home Polish' graffiti prompts photographer's 1,200-mile walk". BBC News. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  2. Sienkiewicz, Krzysztof. "MICHAŁ IWANOWSKI. CLEAR OF PEOPLE". Urbanautica. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  3. "Rozmowa Dnia: Zobaczył napis "Go home, Polish", wyszedł na "spacer". Przejdzie 2000 km". Radio Wroclaw. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  4. O'Hagan, Sean. "Interview 'I went loopy': the photographer who walked 1,200 miles from Wales to Poland". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  5. Sańczuk, Anna. "Gdzie jest dom? Projekt fotografa-wędrowca na Warsaw Gallery Weekend". Vogue. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  6. Cuddy, Alice. "Anti-migrant graffiti prompts photographer to walk 1,900km from Wales to Poland". Euronews. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  7. Premiyak, Liza. "Witness one photographer's epic walk from Wales to Poland". 1 June 2018. The Calvert Journal.
  8. Kiedrzynek, Anna. ""Pakuj graty!" - krzyczeli Brytyjczycy do Polaków. On spakował i wrócił piechotą do kraju". Newsweek. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  9. "I walked 2,000km to trace my grandfather's escape from a Russian gulag". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  10. Thwaites, Millie. "A photographer walked 1,360 miles from Russia to Poland retracing the steps of relatives who escaped from a prisoner of war camp". Wales Online. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  11. "Photographer recreates grandfather's POW escape". BBC News. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  12. Mallonee, Laura. "Retracing a 1,300-Mile Escape From a Soviet Gulag in WWII". Wired. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  13. Bonaccorso, Nicole. "Retracing a 1945 Escape from a Frozen Soviet Gulag (PHOTOS)". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  14. Wright, Sophie. "Go Home, Polish". Lens Culture. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  15. "Clear of People". Brave Books. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  16. Bohr, Marco. "Clear of People". Photomonitor. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  17. "Featured Artists". Magenta Foundation. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  18. "Clear of People - by Michal Iwanowski". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  19. MacFarlane, Rachel. "10 Best PhotoBooks from the NY Art Book Fair". Format. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  20. Premiyak, Liza. "Photo books of 2017". The Calvert Journal. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
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