Following the announcement of an exciting new collaboration between Art World Advisory Group and the Zofia Weiss Gallery, I sat down with gallerist Zofia Weiss to discuss the vision behind this partnership and what it means for artists, collectors, and the wider art community. Known for her discerning eye and commitment to supporting emerging and established artists alike, Weiss has built her gallery into a vibrant hub for contemporary art. In our conversation, she shares insights into how the collaboration came about, the evolving role of galleries in today’s art ecosystem, and her hopes for the future of the Polish and international art scenes.

1. Artistic Vision & Philosophy

GHB: How do you balance your personal curatorial vision with the diverse practices

of the artists you represent, and where do you see your role in shaping cultural

dialogue?

ZW: My curatorial vision is very clearly defined. I am an art historian, a graduate of the

excellent Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. My education is complemented

by a family artistic tradition; I am the granddaughter and heir of the great Polish and

European Art Nouveau artist Wojciech Weiss, a member of, among others, the

Wiener Secession, who received a medal at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in

1900.

I specialize in the history of art at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, working as

a curator for numerous museums. With this experience, and therefore a historical

perspective, I create a kaleidoscope of emerging Polish art. My attention focuses

primarily on the young generation of artists associated with the Academy of Fine Arts

in Krakow, an academy that celebrated its 200th anniversary a few years ago. So, in

my curatorial vision, I look for common roots connecting young, rebellious artists of

the great breakthrough that was the beginning of the 20th century and those artists

entering the art market at the beginning of the 21st century.

I’m not interested in politics in art, nor so-called political correctness. I reject anything

that is social activism or propaganda. What matters to me is talent and purely artistic

achievement.

Art must be based on good craftsmanship, on the observation of nature, and on

deep, authentic emotions. It cannot be a banner carried in street demonstrations, nor

a meme promoting an ideology.

For me, the world of art is the truth about humanity... An artist’s ability to find

themselves within a long chain of generations, respecting tradition, and drawing

inspiration from this to reimagine the contemporary world.

I am also aware of the distinct, deep roots of Polish art, which has always been

treated as different, full of metaphysical depth and painful historical experiences

(wars, national uprisings, oppression during the communist era).

To better understand my approach, I will quote the words of Polish art critic Artur

Górski from 1898:

‘We require our art to be entirely Polish, because if it loses its national character, it’s

going to lose its strength and value, and its raison d’être. But, besides, it should be

young, burn with the fire of youth, fly with an eagle’s wings, and show a royal spirit.’

2. Defining Emerging & Mid-Career

GHB: The terms ‘emerging’ and ‘mid-career’ can mean very different things

depending on context. How do you define them, and how does that affect the way

you support these artists?

ZW: Emerging artists are those just entering the art market, seeking their place in

galleries, participating in competitions, biennials, and annual exhibitions that allow

them to be noticed and improve their standing. They need fundamental support and

mentoring. Zofia Weiss Gallery addresses them precisely with the Winter Salon of

Young Artists from the Academy, held annually in January. The Salon’s regulations

specify that it is dedicated to students and graduates of the Krakow Academy of Fine

Arts under the age of 29.

The results of this Salon are excellent each year. We provide approximately 60 young

people with the opportunity to showcase their work. The public, art lovers, and

collectors eagerly await this event. We then represent many of these young artists in

our gallery.

Remember that what is now called emerging art was once referred to as ‘young’ –

this is how the Art Nouveau and Jugendstil trends arose. Of course, those who

bought their works at the turn of the 20th century made the best possible investment.

Prices for Young Art continue to rise on global markets.

Young artists, in their art, most authentically describe the world of the ‘here and now’

– this is attractive to buyers and collectors. This art is fervent, vibrant, and analyzes

our contemporary reality, even everyday life. For many, it’s thrilling to be able to look

at themselves in such a mirror.

In one of his public speeches, the Rector of the Krakow Academy called the young

artists under my gallery’s care ‘snowdrops’. This beautiful term refers to the delicate,

white flowers that burst from the ground in the first rays of sunlight at the end of

winter.

And then these artists stay with us, guided by our curators and art advisors. We

joyfully observe their development, describe them in curatorial texts, and present

them at art fairs. Before our eyes, they transition from the ‘emerging’ stage to ‘mid-

career.’

3. The Gallery’s Role in the Ecosystem

GHB: In a rapidly shifting art market—between fairs, biennials, online

platforms—what do you see as the role of a gallery like yours? How do you carve out

space for your artists?

ZW: We were present on Artsy for a few years, then on Artsper – but I see that this isn’t

the best solution. Emerging artists require direct work, significant engagement,

discussion, and creativity.

Drawing on the experience of these large platforms, we are constantly improving our

website and newsletter system. We have SEO, which allows our artists to achieve

excellent positioning. This increases their visibility in organic search results on search

engines like Google. This is the first step to success for both the artist and the gallery.

We greatly appreciate the role of art advisors. They help ensure that the work of

young artists reaches collectors who focus on this particular art segment.

Of course, we also participate in art fairs, both large and local. In Krakow, the Young

Art Fair and the ‘Nówka Sztuka’; Artists and Designers Fair are very interesting

events.

We encourage our artists to participate in important annual competitions; reaching

the finals significantly increases an artist’s ranking. One of the most prestigious

rankings for emerging artists in Poland is the annual Young Art Compass. It features

artists under 35, nominated by galleries and cultural institutions.

The Compass’s results benefit collectors, auction houses, gallery owners, investors,

and artists themselves. The Compass also serves as a unique guide for those

learning about the state of young Polish art and building their collections.

We must remember that the art market in Poland is smaller than in Western Europe

or the US, so galleries must actively seek out collectors and opportunities to

showcase their work at international events.

4. Poland & the Global Context

GHB: What unique challenges and opportunities do Polish artists face today, and

how does your gallery connect them to an international audience?

ZW: Poland is one of the most dynamically developing economies in the European Union.

In 2025, according to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Poland will

rank 20th in the world in terms of nominal GDP, making it the 6th largest economy in

the EU (after Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands).

Thanks to rising real incomes in our country, more and more people can afford to buy

works of art. Importantly, more and more people in the 35-55 age group are starting

to build their own art collections. Due to attractive prices and the thrill of investing,

they are turning their attention to the younger generation of artists.

There is a significant difference between the debut opportunities for today’s emerging

artists and those who began building their careers before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The Berlin Wall served as a symbolic barrier between West and East, between the

so-called free world and the world enslaved by the communist regime.

Now, young Polish artists have unlimited opportunities to travel and study worldwide.

There are a huge selection of foreign scholarships, the most popular of which is the

Erasmus program. The access to the galleries in Paris, Berlin, New York is also

easier to achieve.

We offer the artists represented by our gallery, still not enough international contacts.

What we strive for is to draw the attention of international investors to the uniqueness

of our selection of works, and also to the uniqueness of Polish sensitivity and joie de

vivre.

5. Collector Relationships

GHB: How do you engage with collectors—especially newer ones—when

introducing them to less established artists, and what strategies have you found most

effective in building long-term support?

ZW: The Zofia Weiss Gallery organizes numerous exhibitions, a dozen or so each year.

The largest event is the aforementioned Winter Salon of Young Artists of the

Academy of Fine Arts, but there is also an exhibition during the summer months,

during which the gallery presents student works transferred from the open studios

presented at the Academy of Fine Arts at the end of the academic year.

These activities take place in the gallery space, where the exhibition opening is a key

moment. A good exhibition attracts many visitors, and our gallery’s excellent location

in the heart of the Old Town facilitates the steady acquisition of new clients.

The most effective strategy for building long-term support is to make collectors aware

of their role in strengthening the self-esteem of young artists. Many of our collectors

declare that it’s not crucial whether they invest their money wisely. Nor is the rate of

increase in the price of a work of art important to them. They declare that they have

the financial resources to support young artists and simply want to do so. Therefore,

they aren’t looking for a quick profit, but rather the joy of experiencing art that evokes

emotion.

6. Sustainability in the Art World

GHB: The art world often focuses on spectacle and speed. How do you think about

creating sustainable careers for artists rather than short bursts of attention?

ZW: This is very difficult today - the world is changing rapidly, and audiences constantly

expect new stimuli.

Spectacle is a response to the need to attract attention in a crowded market. In the

age of social media and instant news, galleries and artists must create events that

stand out visually and emotionally.

Large, striking, scandalous, or socially engaged works generate buzz and are widely

photographed and shared on social media platforms like Instagram. In Poland,

emerging artists heavily rely on Instagram to gain visibility, where collectors often

discover them. Spectacular works and events, if they perform well in the media,

attract the attention not only of collectors but also of curators and directors of public

institutions, which is crucial for young artists.

Therefore, their art often balances somewhere between artistic achievement and

media success. Artists undertake the deliberate negotiation, aligning with discussions

of authenticity versus marketability. The risk we observe is the superficiality of artistic

content. Focusing on spectacle can overshadow deeper reflection, metaphysics, and

transcendence, which, in fact, give art its deepest meaning. It is precisely because of

these qualities that art emerges as the most profound and unique human creation.

Subtle, conceptual, or reflective works are harder to ‘sell’ on social media. Artists

often feel this pressure and may feel compelled to create ‘Instagrammable’ works,

which limits their authenticity.

I believe that to create stable careers for artists, not fleeting moments of interest, we

need to explain that the most important thing for them is the development of their own

talent and truly arduous work. Great effort as an artist, pursued with the deepest

concentration, is essential.

This is how the greatest works of art in our culture were painted: Rembrandt,

Vermeer, van Gogh, Kandinsky. Their works were not created to please the applause

of an audience. They could be a model for today’s artists striving for authenticity.

Something truly unique, unrepeatable, brilliant emerges when there’s no constant

burden of so-called ‘others’ opinions, ‘no dreams of ‘likes’ or ‘shares’.

And if these conditions are met and maintained, we can expect the artist we

represent to have a stable career with steadily increasing market value.

7. Navigating Risk & Innovation

GHB: Representing emerging voices often involves risk. Can you share a time when

supporting an unconventional project or artist paid off in an unexpected way?

ZW: Representing emerging artists often involves risks, as their work may not find an

audience, and the gallery’s investment in promotion may not pay off. However, taking

such risks can lead to transformative moments that reshape the art market.

However, this representation is linked to two important aspects for me. First, my art

gallery’s policy is not only about sales but also about patronizing young artists. I’m

aware that most of them will end their careers quite quickly, but I also know that stars

can be born among this large group.

Second, contact with emerging artists gives me excellent insight into both local and

global sociology. They draw my attention to things I might not notice myself in

everyday life. They often serve as alarm bells. When someone is involved not only in

sales but also in scientific research, it’s an excellent field of observation.

I think this gallery-artist relationship is very stimulating; we give young artists the

opportunity to mature and develop peacefully, without the pressure of the market.

Such balanced collaboration brings much satisfaction and success. We can say that

the works of selected artists are purchased while they are still on easels in the artist’s

studio.

8. Collaboration & Expansion

GHB: With this new collaboration, how do you envision extending the reach of your

artists—beyond sales and exhibitions—to impact how their work is written about,

archived, or remembered?

ZW: This new collaboration with such an experienced team fills me with great hope. It

could open up entirely new development prospects for the gallery and the artists

represented. I personally have very good experience working as an art historian and

curator, and I explored the British art scene thanks to scholarships at Sussex

University and Manchester University. There, I discovered completely new research

paths, completely different from those I was familiar with at my home university.

Working for the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag on a monographic exhibition of the

Polish artist and my grandfather, Wojciech Weiss, was a wonderful experience. A few

years ago, I also attended the Young Poland exhibition at the William Morris Gallery

in London.

I believe that my intuition and sense of changes in art will help me launch our

collaboration successfully. I want more analytical and critical texts to be written about

the art created by young Poles, and for their works to appear not only at art fairs but

also in public cultural institutions, as an important element of a comprehensive

presentation of global art. This is one of the most important ways to ensure that the

artists represented by my gallery are included in the inventories of museums,

archives, and smaller entities such as private galleries.

9. Cultural Identity & Responsibility

GHB: Do you feel a responsibility to represent Polish identity through your artists, or

is your gallery’s role more about universal themes and global conversations?

ZW: We absolutely feel responsible for representing the culture of our country, which is an

expression of our identity. However, this cultural unambiguity associated with Poland

as our homeland, is becoming increasingly less clear, as the language of art

becomes universal. Nowadays, looking at a work of art, it’s difficult to recognize its

affiliation with a particular cultural circle, unless it draws on the resources of forms

associated with, for example, a specific ethnic group. Art rarely references historical

events, although the pandemic and the war in Ukraine have certainly left their mark

on Polish art. I would like to quote here the words of my ancestor, a rector of the

Academy of Fine Arts, who said in a 1934 interview:

‘What should Polish painting be like? I believe it should be not just Polish, but good,

because striving for perfection inspires respect for the nation in which it is created.

Painting is an international language. The more beautifully and profoundly someone

can depict the reality, the more laurels he pins to the crown of his nation’.

10. Looking Ahead

GHB: If you could change one thing about the way the art world currently operates

for artists at the early or mid-career stage, what would it be, and how are you working

toward that change?

I would advocate for greater democratization in access to galleries, art fairs, and

other platforms for artist promotion. The current art market often favors artists backed

by large financial institutions, such as banks, which purchase their entire body of

work, tie them to exclusive contracts, and artificially inflate prices. While I don’t

entirely oppose these mechanisms, the financial and commercial success of many

artists often stems from behind-the-scenes business arrangements that remain

hidden from the public. This system limits opportunities for artists without access to

such networks, particularly those at the early or mid-career stages.

I draw the inspiration for this statement from the story of Vincent van Gogh, whose

life and work I recently explored while writing about his art. During his lifetime, van

Gogh sold only one painting, The ‘Red Vineyard’, for 400 Belgian francs (equivalent

to approximately 4,000–4,800 euros in 2025), now held in the Pushkin State Museum

of Fine Arts in Moscow. After his death in 1890, his legacy was treated as mere

second-hand goods by Dutch dealers. It wasn’t until the 1970s and 1980s that his

work gained significant value, with a major breakthrough in 1987 when ‘Irises’ sold

for 53.9 million dollars at Sotheby’s in New York, and ‘Sunflowers’ fetched 39.9

million dollars at Christie’s in London. Why did van Gogh achieve such recognition?

Here is the answer. He was unwavering, authentic, and uncompromising in his artistic

vision, proving that the true value of art often emerges over time, not through fleeting

trends.

To transform the art market, I believe public cultural institutions, such as museums

and art centers, should move away from prioritizing political correctness, social

movements, or anti-exclusion agendas. Instead, they should focus on the artwork

itself as a pure manifestation of talent, its uniqueness, depth, and ability to move

audiences profoundly, regardless of social or political context. In Poland, where the

art market is still developing, this approach could open doors for more young artists

who often struggle with financial instability, balancing their creative work with other

jobs due to inflation and geopolitical uncertainties.

As part of these changes, in pandemic years we were working on an innovative VR

project at our gallery. The VR Gallery – Museum from Academy allowed to 10 early-

career artists to showcase their work in an immersive digital environment (high

quality 3D architecture) accessible to collectors and curators worldwide, without the

need for physical exhibition spaces, reducing costs and increasing accessibility.

I would like to mention this again - young artists increasingly promote themselves on

Instagram, which poses both competition and support for galleries, provided the artist

remains loyal. Our goal is to help artists build authentic careers by combining

traditional exhibitions with modern digital tools like VR and advocating for greater

institutional support for independent artists, free from the influence of major market

players. I believe these efforts will foster sustainable careers grounded in talent and

authenticity, rather than short-lived sensationalism.