Mikołaj Sobczak’s musical takes us to a 17th-century Anabaptist commune, where the English poet and artist William Blake mysteriously appears. He claims to come from the 19th century. It is an enigmatic arrival that raises many questions and ultimately leads to a confrontation with an external force: the “Universal Empire”, which can be read as universal consciousness. As historical reality and illusion merge, we will wonder: are we ourselves part of a grand social theatre?

Through his multifaceted work, Mikołaj Sobczak gives voice to overlooked histories and marginalized identities, weaving them into kaleidoscopic installations. His collages, performances, and films are windows into the complex cast of characters and narratives of his mythology. Stemming from a thorough research into persecution society and queer resistance, Sobczak’s work contributes to a necessary and ongoing multiplication of histories.

About the artist:

Mikołaj Sobczak studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw in Miroslaw Balka‘s Studio for Spatial Activities, was a scholarship holder at the Berlin University of the Arts, and graduated as a Masters student in 2019 at the Kunstakademie Münster. In 2024 Mikołaj Sobczak held an institutional solo exhibition at Jester – Flanders Arts Institute, Genk, Belgium. The artist will have a solo exhibition at Salzburger Kunstverein, Austria in 2025. Recent exhibitions also include Ludwig Forum, Aachen (2023), Kunsthalle Münster (2022–2023), Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin (2021), MUDAM, Luxembourg (2021) and Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw (2020).

Sobczak’s works are held in the collections of Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf, Ludwig Forum, Aachen, The Perimeter, London, Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw and The National Museum, Gdańsk, among others. In 2021, Sobczak was awarded Poland‘s most prestigious art prize, the Paszport Polityki. He was an artist-in-residence at the Rijksakadmie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam (2021–2023) and from September 2023 until February 2024 Sobczak was participating in the biannual residency program with Art Explora – Cité internationale des arts in Paris.

The event takes place in English.

Info: klosterruine.berlin, capitainpetzel.de/artists/162-mikoaj-sobczak
Admission: free
Venue: Klosterruine Berlin, Klosterstr. 73a, 10179 Berlin

graphic: Mikołaj Sobczak – The Universal Empire, illustrated by Ewa Głowacka © the artist

photo: Fzdjęcie: Mikołaj Sobczak – The Universal Empire, photo: Konstantin Guz © Rozenstraat – a rose is a rose is a rose rozenstraat, Amsterdam and the artist