Exhibiting Women\u27s Art in Post-War Europe

This essay elaborates on women-only shows organized in post-war Europe by the associations of (women) artists, that – as initial research showed – were major initiators of this type of exhibitions during the period. It proposes a comparative analysis of operations of this type of associations in three countries whose situations during and after the war differed considerably: Austria, France and Poland. The geopolitical position of these countries and the gender politics they implemented influenced the operation of (women) artists’ associations and organization of their annual exhibitions, but also the place they occupy in the art historical narratives

Why the Commission is treating Poland more harshly than Hungary in its rule of law review

In January, the European Commission announced an inquiry into whether recent Polish reforms affecting the country’s constitutional tribunal and media are consistent with the rule of law. Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska writes that the Commission’s review has been noticeably different from its previous approach in relation to Hungary, where there have been similar concerns raised over reforms carried out by Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz government. She argues that the fact that the Law and Justice party has less political allies at the European level and that the Juncker’s Commission is more assertive vis-à-vis member-states than its predecessor, may go some way toward explaining why the cases have been handled differently

The Eurozone crisis has laid the foundations for Poland to take a more central role in EU affairs

Poland became an EU member during the 2004 enlargement, but has yet to join the euro. Agata Gostyńska assesses the first ten years of Polish EU membership and the potential for the country to take a more central role in EU decision-making. She writes that Poland has made a successful transition from a ‘junior member state’ to a stronger actor on the EU stage, and that the Eurozone crisis in particular has allowed the country to take a more active role in EU developments. Nevertheless, Poland will have to confront future challenges, most notably resolving its position on the euro and dealing with the potential rebalancing of power brought about through the upcoming change to Council of the EU voting rules in November

The US won’t help Britain in its negotiations with the EU

The special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom cannot be taken for granted. Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska and Rem Korteweg argue, in the latest issue of the CER Insight, that in spite of its long history the famous UK-US alliance may not prove very useful during Brexit. It is all but certain that Washington will not aid London in its exit negotiations with the EU-27

The Brexiteers’ exit plan: legally dubious, unfeasible and likely to antagonise our neighbours

Last week Vote Leave laid out its plans for a divorce and a future relationship with the EU. It argued that if voters decided to end UK’s membership of the EU, the UK would negotiate a “friendly deal” with European partners by the next general election in 2020. But this post-referendum roadmap does not hold water, argue Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska and Adam Lazowski. It would, at best, further antagonise the European partners and, at worst, create economic and legal chaos. Here are four reasons why

Financial institutions as an example of institutions of public trust

Financial institutions are commonly known as institutions of public trust and they are fundamental for activities of other economic entities. The level of trust determines the competitive position of financial institutions. That is why care about the best standards is the most important task for these institutions. Financial institutions are called institutions of public trust and thus high professionalism and more responsibility is demanded from them. This article presents basic problems concerning trust and institutions of public trust. The article is also an attempt to verify the statement that financial institutions are institutions of public trust

The Attractive Banality of Natalia LL’s "Consumer Art” (1972–1975)

The article is an analysis of the reception of "Consumer Art" by Natalia LL. The work is a series of photographs and films made in the years 1972-1975 featuring women consuming bananas, sausages, custard and starch jelly.The work was created in the neo-avant-garde circles and was in those circles perceived as "an exploration of morphological potential of the sign and the capacity of the medium" (Andrzej Lachowicz). Simultaneously it functioned in the sphere of feminist art, into which it was included in the 1970's by feminist researchers from the Western Europe. In the present article the author conducts an analysis of the ambivalence resulting from the inclusion, which is caused by, among other factors, the incompatibility of Western discourse to Polish situation. It is also pointed out that it is only in the second half of the 1990's that the feminist discourse re-appears in the declarations of the artist herself and of some critics, which is related to the shift, observable in their texts, of "Consumer Art" from the area of conceptual art to the area of body art. The author enters a polemic with some elements of those interpretations, e. g. those referring to the critique of consumerism, and proposes to concentrate on the work by Natalia LL as one referring to erotic desire and female pleasure as issues which had no proper place in the mainstream culture (in the case of Natalia LL, the culture of the Polish Republic of Poland). In this context the author recalls the contemporary pastiche of Natalia LL's work, "Try this!" (2006) by Karol Radziszewski

Read her desire. Copjec against the Historicists?

Joan Copjec, Read My Desire. Lacan against the Historicists, An October Book, The MIT Press, Cambridge-London 1994, s. 272

Comparing the rate of growth and metabolic efficiency of yeast experiencing environmental stress or genetic damage

Physical stresses, toxic substances, and mutations can cause marked decline in the rate of growth (RG). We report that the efficiency of growth (EG), i.e. converting glucose into biomass, responds less profoundly. It remains nearly unaffected for some physical and chemical stresses, but decreases substantially for others, specifically those affecting membrane integrity or ion homeostasis. Mutations (gene deletions) can heavily reduce RG, but much less EG. Moreover, there is no apparent relation between the function of deleted gene and EG. Generally, assays of EG appear as more laborious, less precise, and less informative than those of RG