The MARE ARTICUM program is  dedicated to the pursuit of deeper European integration through the promotion of international activities and exchanges in the field of contemporary visual art. Incorporated in 1995 and headquartered in Szczecin. Poland, draws on a broad range of resources, networks and alliances to produce thematic exhibitions, conferences, seminars, educational programs and publications.

MARE ARTICUM program is co-ordinated by the curators of the National Museum in Szczecin - Museum of Contemporary Art: Magdalena Lewoc and Marlena Chybowska-Butler.

The MARE ARTICUM [Sea of Art] is a non-profit, international program dedicated to the pursuit of activities in the field of visual contemporary art initiated in the mid-1990s by the City of Szczecin and coordinated since 2000 by The National Museum in Szczecin.

From its genesis in 1995 as a cooperative platform for the development of regional artistic and cultural exchanges to its emergence in 2009 as an institutional player in its own right, the MARE ARTICUM Foundation has served as a locus both of curatorial expertise and of organizational excellence in the promotion of contemporary visual art to an ever-widening audience. Formed as MARE ARTICUM, a collaborative effort underwritten by the Commission on Culture of the Union of the Baltic Cities, the City of Szczecin and coordinated by the National Museum in Szczecin, the MARE ARTICUM Foundation boasts an unbroken run of successful endeavors, ranging from exhibitions and collateral events to publishing and participation in multi-national alliances aimed at the promotion of contemporary art on the European stage.

The essential pillars of Mare Articum are: the Baltic Contemporary Art Biennial, international exhibitions and partnerships, Mare Articum Magazine.

The Baltic Contemporary Art Biennial

Produced in conjunction with the National Museum in Szczecin, the Baltic Biennial has taken place in Szczecin (Poland), Visby (Sweden), and Riga (Latvia) since its inception in 1995. More than 300 artists, performers and musicians have participated in the Biennial’s eight iterations, which have featured collected, site-specific and newly commissioned works in equal measure. Accompanying seminars and conference programs are aimed at drawing artists, curators, critics, collectors, institutional directors, politicians and the general public together, enabling exchanges of ideas and information on topics relevant to each exhibition’s curatorial theme, with catalogues documenting featured artists and their works published in conjunction with each event.

Horizon Line (1995), Baltic Ikonopress (1997), NEWS (1999), Sybaris (2001), Extra Strong – Super Light (2003), Habitat (2005), TransRobota (2007), Dystopian Realms – Idyllic Meadows (2009), Dark Side of the Moon (2012) and Troubled Water (2015).

International exhibitions and partnerships

Throughout its history, the MARE ARTICUM Foundation has worked to promote the works and artists from the countries of the Baltic Sea, both in the region and far beyond.

The organization has curated, coordinated and produced exhibitions and seminars devoted to Contemporary Art from the Baltic Sea Region in Stockholm, Gdańsk, St. Petersburg, Bornholm, Riga and Frankfurt-am-Main.

Participation in cooperative exhibitions, events and publications has extended this reach.

Presentation in the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center in New York (2003);

Co-operation with 'apollonia european art exchanges' from Strasbourg, France and the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art in Thessaloniki, Greece (2003-2004);

Participation in the ‘Artventure –Visual Art Network‘ with partners: apollonia european art exchanges, France; la Châtaignerie – the Walloon Contemporary Art Center, Belgium; Artbox, Greece; Multum in Parvo Ldt; Cyprus and the National Museum in Szczecin, Poland (2006-2009) and supported by the European Union’s Culture 2000 program.

 

MARE ARTICUM Magazine

Published semi-annually in the years 1995–2013, this bilingual (Polish/English) journal addressed the dominant themes and leading trends in contemporary art during, including Beauty, Nomadism, Utopia, Autonomy of Art, Art and Politics, Globalization, New Art of St. Petersburg.