Mikołaj Sobczak’s work focuses on the creation of alternative historical images, blending video and painting with performance, often in collaboration with German artist Nicholas Grafia. Sobczak’s surreal, collaged narratives feature protagonists from queer and transgender activism, as well as countercultural emancipatory movements that challenge conventional and canonic historical perspectives through marginalized voices. The exhibition draws inspiration from the cafe and bookstore in the Parisian neighborhood of Montmartre allegedly operated by Eva Kotchever, a Polish Jewish writer, activist, and queer icon, after her deportation from the US to Europe in the early 20th century. It is dedicated to such rumored and legendary spaces – cabarets, bookstores, cafes, and hotels – where queer individuals could authentically and safely express their identities, highlighting the revolutionary nature of the spaces themselves and forming a sense of community.
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