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Julia Mielczarek, University of Warsaw, PolandAbstract
In my article, I will present the functioning of modernism as an emblem of cultural memory after World War II in the Republic of Poland. I will discuss the narratives about modernism that are used today in the international presentation of Polish art. Modernism in Poland in the 20th century served as a universal aesthetic language to build a progressive, modern image of the country. I will focus on the aesthetic and political strategies of Polish cultural institutions that promote art and heritage outside Poland. I will discuss the “Poland 100” programme, which was implemented under the slogan “Inspired by the past, we create the future” as part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Poland regaining independence. My intention is to present art as a vehicle for collective memory and social identity, which influences the soft power of the state and makes cultural policy increasingly visible on the international stage. Therefore, I will present my comparative analysis of two artworks entitled “Semiotic Reading of State-Sponsored Memory Aesthetics,” which will discuss visual form, narrative message, and type of founder. My research method is a combination of visual semiotics + art policy analysis + research in situ. At the same time, I will show the perspective of understanding art through the lens of memory coding and cultural policy.
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Conference: IICAH2026Stream: Arts - Arts Policy
This paper is part of the IICAH2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Mielczarek J. (2026) Art as Emblem and Message: Polish Modernism – The Aesthetic Soft Power of Cultural Memory and Diplomacy ISSN: 2432-4604 – The IAFOR International Conference on Arts & Humanities – Hawaii 2026 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 87-94) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2432-4604.2026.7
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2432-4604.2026.7
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