||TECHNE|| International Philosophical and Artistic Plein Air ||Human-Nature-Technology||

||TECHNE||
International Philosophical and Artistic Plein Air
||Human-Nature-Technology||

Sokołowsko, June 22, 2026 – June 28, 2026

On behalf of the organizers, we invite you to the international, interdisciplinary philosophical and artistic plein air ||TECHNE||, dedicated to the theme of the relationship between humans and nature in light of the challenges posed by emerging technologies. We are seeking individuals engaged in creative practice, philosophical reflection, or working at the intersection of these two fields, who are open to collaboration and alive to the problems of the contemporary world. The project arises from a partnership between the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFiS PAN), the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), University of the Arts in Poznań (UAP), the University of Warsaw (UW), the Myślowisko Foundation, and the Art In Context studio at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (AVU).

The Idea

The global challenges currently facing humanity – from the ecological crisis to the consequences of industrial and digital development – give rise to unprecedented tensions that cannot be addressed within the confines of narrow specializations, disciplines, languages, or national cultures. The organizers, drawing on several years of experience in conducting various philosophical and artistic projects, embrace this undertaking and seek approaches that move beyond traditional academic practices.

In this spirit, we aim to chart different paths where philosophy – by relinquishing its attachment to purely textual means of expression and stepping beyond the routine framework of academic life – meets artistic creation. And conversely: artistic activity (as creative practice and thinking through form) transcends the entrenched notion of craftsmanship toward a reflective techne and is confronted with fundamental philosophical questions. The latter are not meant to be a decorative supplement to the work’s visual or aesthetic dimension, but rather the horizon and foundation of the creative act.

The Goal

The plein air in Sokołowsko combines artistic workshops with a philosophical summer school. Its purpose is to create the conditions for a creative process grounded in the free exchange of ideas, and to engage an international group of participants in joint research and artistic work. This exploratory dialogue is intended to result in a series of artworks deeply intertwined with philosophical reflection, to be shared with a wider audience through exhibitions in Poznań and Prague.

The Program

The core of the residency is the collaboration of fourteen individuals – including seven representing the field of art and seven engaged in philosophy (formally or informally) – whose goal is to create (at least) seven works of both philosophical and artistic character, addressing the overarching theme of human-nature-technology. The results are meant to function as autonomous artistic works while also serving as catalysts for philosophical reflection.

The creative process will unfold under the guidance of an international group of academic mentors with substantial experience in the fields of art and philosophy.

During their week-long stay in Sokołowsko, participants will, among other things:

● work in pairs (as well as individually and in groups) on projects integrating various artistic techniques (including intermedia strategies) with philosophical ideas;
● under the guidance of supervisors – professional artists, art historians, and philosophers – develop a conceptual framework engaging with contemporary discourse on the relationship between humans, nature, and technology, informed by the dominant directions and trends in the current humanities;
● attend masterclasses;
● contribute to the organization of the exhibitions in Poznań (October 2026) and Prague (January 2027).

A detailed program will be announced in May.

Who are we looking for?

We welcome individuals involved in philosophy and/or art at the academic or professional level, or in an independent yet committed way – students; doctoral candidates; minds actively engaged in artistic and/or philosophical practice – responsive to the challenges of our time and interested in seeking innovative solutions, in-depth reflection, and interdisciplinary action.

How to apply?

To apply, please fill out the form available at the link below, attaching your biography, a short cover letter, and a portfolio (for those with artistic, curatorial, or exhibition experience):

https://forms.gle/Bpa4BQ3q2umQyAZ27

Deadline: Friday, May 15, 2026, 11:59 PM

The number of places is limited. Participants will be selected during the committee’s deliberations based on the answers provided in the form. Only selected applicants will be contacted.

Terms of Participation

Upon receiving notification of acceptance, please pay the participation fee:
800 PLN – students (including doctoral students)
1,200 PLN – other participants

The fee covers: accommodation in double and triple rooms, meals, workshops, masterclasses, and individual mentoring on philosophical and artistic projects, as well as participation in group exhibitions in Poznań and Prague.

Questions? Email: kontakt@fundacjamyslowisko.org

Academic advisors

Daniel R. Sobota – associate professor at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, lecturer at the University of Warsaw and the Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, philosopher, phenomenologist-performer, animator of philosophical culture, founder of the Myślowisko Foundation, author of several dozen articles and books (the two-volume monograph Sources and Inspirations of Heidegger’s Question of Being, the study The Birth of Phenomenology from the Spirit of the Question: Johannes Daubert and the Phenomenological Beginnings, and An Essay in the Philosophy of History). The guiding idea of his thinking is shaped by three concerns: the question, the phenomenon (appearing), and performance. Philosophical interests: German philosophy at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the philosophy of Heidegger, phenomenology, the philosophy of the question, the philosophy of J. Grotowski’s theatre, and performance theory.

Weronika Wronecka – interdisciplinary artist (experimental film, animation, drawing), writer subverting the discourse of contemporary art, editor-in-chief of Postmedium magazine and author of two collective publications (Postmedium 2021, 2026), lecturer at the University of the Arts in Poznań. Her work has been exhibited in Poland (Poznań, Warsaw, Gdańsk) and abroad (Berlin, Zurich, Stockholm, Jerusalem, Bratislava). Recipient of the City of Poznań Artistic Scholarship for interdisciplinary creative activity in film, literature, and philosophy. Artistic and research interests: autobiographical writing, the discourse of contemporary art, the system of artistic education, psychoanalysis.

Adam Mazur – critic and theorist of photography, art historian, and Americanist, lecturer at the University of the Arts in Poznań. Director of Kamienica Hilarego Majewskiego in Łódź. Recipient of the Szczęsny Dettloff Award, the Jerzy Stajuda Award, and the Gloria Artis Medal. From 2002 to 2013, curator at the Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw. Editor of anthologies and catalogues, and author of books, including I Love Photography (2008, 2009), Histories of Photography in Poland 1839–2009 (2010), The Decisive Moment: New Phenomena in Polish Photography after 2000(2012), Depth of Field: Essays on Polish Photography after 1945 (2014), and After the End of Photography (2018). Since 2025, also engaged in his own artistic practice.

Luiza Prado – artist, writer and theorist. She works between installation, sculpture, text, and image, using performance and ritual as a way of invitation and activation for audiences. Her practice explores relations and knowledge between plants, political infrastructures, and technology, and questions what processes are needed for collective concerns of environmental care and reproductive justice. She holds a PhD from the University of the Arts Berlin, and an MA from the University of the Arts Bremen. Her ongoing artistic research project, “Un/Earthings and Moon Landings” starts from the mythology around silphium, an extinct plant used as an aphrodisiac and a spice, to engage with questions around body and territory as sites of extraction within computational, political, and economic infrastructures.

Tomáš Džadoň – lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, neoconceptual artist using Architecture as the main tool of expression and engaging with a wide range of forms, from objects and installations to site-specific interventions in public spaces. He explores the influence of architecture on people and society, and examines architecture as a contrasting material for exploring historical memory and its real heritage.

John Hill – writer, researcher and curator, lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. As a member of the collective LuckyPDF, he has had work exhibited internationally, including at UCCA, Beijing and Museo Jumex, Mexico City, and has been commissioned by major institutions, including Hayward Gallery and Frieze Foundation. His practice-based Ph.D. looked at the interaction between art institutions, algorithms, self-organisation and artistic collaboration. He leads AVU’s Emergent Technologies Research Group.

Anna Fidos – University of Warsaw, MA in Philosophy, student of creative writing, qualified ethics/philosophy high school teacher, President of the University of Warsaw’s Interdepartmental Creative Writing Association. Professionally involved in the field of sustainable development (ESG/CSR), arts/culture and education.

Michał Rzecznik – cultural critic (University of Warsaw), screenwriter, and illustrator, creator of satirical drawings, author of albums and zines, recipient of the City of Warsaw artistic scholarship for the project A Comic Book about the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Fighters. Member of the group Maszin, described as the avant-garde of Polish comics. His work has appeared in zines (Jeju, B5, Bicepsie, Mydle, 1 Zin), magazines (Cheap East, Teatr), and press outlets (Gazeta Wyborcza, The Guardian, Le Monde).

Guest lecturers incl.

• Maria Kostyszak (University of Wrocław)
• Tadeusz Sławek (University of Silesia)
• Sven Sellmer (University of Adam Mickiewicz)
• (…)

Organizers
Polish Academy of Sciences
Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences
Magdalena Abakanowicz University of Arts in Poznań, Faculty of Photography
Myślowisko Foundation
Creative Writing Club of the University of Warsaw

Partners
Art In Context studio at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague.
Postmedium Magazine https://postmedium.art/
Domie & Komplet Foundation https://domie.pl/
Nowa Scena UAP https://www.poznangalleries.com/
Schody Magazine SCHODY – communication between levels

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