14/02/2025
Welcome to the project KAFKA – International Mail Art.
KAFKA - International Mail Art
The Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Art in Kraków
2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Franz Kafka, one of the greatest creators of the 20th century.
Kafka's influence on art, not only literature, cannot be overestimated. His works inspire filmmakers, playwrights and visual artists who are fascinated by the Prague author's deep knowledge of the human psyche contained in his works, as well as his limitless imagination, tangible visions and that which is simple but worthy of attention.
Kafka's world is an inexhaustible collection of shocking and moving images, close and understandable to all those with similar sensitivity, who are delighted and terrified by the phenomenon of life.
For several years, the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow has been organizing artistic events inspired by Franz Kafka's aphorisms from the collection "Meditations on Sin, Hope, Suffering and the True Path".
The events that took place in 2024 under the common title Freedom – Boundaries of Identity are organized under the honorary patronage of the Rector of the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, Prof. Andrzej Bednarczyk. Such patronage guarantees the proper implementation of the project with the participation and commitment of the university's employees.
One of the main goals of the mail art project is to organize an exhibition of works by artists participating in the project. By establishing a specific schedule for all project activities, the university will secure the best possible exhibition space for its implementation in its exhibition plan for the third quarter of 2025. The exhibition will be accompanied by various activities in the media space, which will translate into an increase in interest in the entire project, also among people less involved in cultural activities.
The entire initiative, lasting several months, will not end with the closure of the exhibition. One of the important aspects of the project is the obligation of the Museum of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow to carry out a professional cataloging and processing of all submitted works, placing them in one group/folder with a specific inventory number. This will not only allow them to be preserved, but will also provide evidence of a specific activity performed at a specific time. Transferring the works to the Academy of Fine Arts Museum and their conservation will enrich the collection, but apart from their obvious artistic value, they will constitute an interesting collection of museum artifacts illustrating one of the ways in which artists from all over the world were networking at the end of the first quarter of the 21st century.
Terms and conditions of the project KAFKA - International Mail Art.
1. The project is being organised by the The Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków.
2. Participation in the project is open to all professional artists and students of art colleges worldwide.
3. The participant submits one work not exceeding A4 size (210x297 mm), made in any 2D technique.
4. The organiser encourages to put a short, original text on the back of the work: a poem, a sentence, an impression, a greeting, etc.
5. The presented works should be inspired by the work of Franz Kafka, in particular his aphorisms from the collection ‘Reflections on Sin, Pain, Hope, and the True Way’.
6. The artwork must be original, created for the purpose of participating in the project.
7. Works which violate current law, including in particular those which contain praise of totalitarian systems, violence, po*******hy or which arouse legal controversy, will not be considered for the design exhibition.
8. Submissions should be sent by post to:
dr Jolanta Kuśmierska,
42-506 Będzin,
ul. Norberta Barlickiego 22/4
Polska/Poland
and at e-mail address: [email protected]
9. The deadline for submissions is 16 October 2025. The postmark date will serve as a proof.
10. Each work must be accompanied by a metric containing the following information: a) name, b) e-mail address, c) title of work, d) dimensions, e) technique.
The submitted work must be accompanied by a consent clause for the processing of personal data signed by the author:
I consent to the processing of the personal data I have provided by the Controller – the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków for the purpose of organising and implementing the Kafka - International Mail Art project, including their publication in the Controller’s facilities, on the Controller’s website and in the Controller’s social media, under the terms and conditions set out in the present terms and conditions.
11. The project does not provide for the participation of a jury to select works for the exhibition prepared by the organiser.
12. All the submitted works will be shown in the exhibition spaces of the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków in in third quarter of 2025..
13. In addition, the organiser is planning an on-line exhibition, the creation of a blog dedicated to the project, where the submitted works and information on project activities can be viewed, as well as readings of the words and reflections written on the back of submitted works.
14. The organiser undertakes to record and process the submitted works in accordance with the museum practice of the Museum of the Academy of Fine Arts.
15. The organiser assumes the preparation of a project publication in electronic form, to be made available on-line free of charge.
16. The project organiser undertakes to issue digital certificates of participation in the project upon request by e-mail.
In connection with their participation in the competition, participants in the competition, upon submission of their work, grant to Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence, unlimited in time and territory, to the submitted project and its component parts in the specified fields of exploitation:
1) within the scope of recording and multiplication of the work – production of copies of the work by a specified technique, including printing, reprography, magnetic recording and digital technique;
2) within the scope of circulation of copies on which the work has been fixed – lending or leasing of the original or copies;
3) with regard to the distribution of the work:
(a) recording in computer memory and dissemination over computer networks, including in particular via the Internet, including on any websites, in particular within their own websites, in the media and on social networks (e.g.: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and the like) and video streaming services (Youtube and the like);
(b) fixation and reproduction of the Work on any electronic, magnetic or optical media, permanent or temporary entry into computer memory, digital or hard copy archiving;
(c) use of the Work for the production or commissioning of advertising and promotional material (regarding the Competition and the Organiser), including in particular materials produced using any printing and reprographic techniques (in particular catalogues, brochures, leaflets, magazines, posters, inserts – regardless of format, circulation size or other individualising features) and materials in digital format (intended in particular for use on the Internet or on advertising displays);
(d) making a presentation to the public, including, in particular, presentation for promotional or educational purposes and advertising presentations
(e) exploitation consisting in the use of part or all of the Work, or each of the works forming part of the Work, for advertising or promotional purposes on the Internet, irrespective of the form of the advertising material and its technical specifications, the recording technique and the place of display – irrespective of the number of times it is displayed, downloaded or published on the Internet;
(f) exploitation pursuant to Article 50 of the Act on Copyright and Related Rights;
(g) making any modifications, retouches, changes in size, proportions, collages of the Work, juxtapositions, compositions with any other works and using the results of such works in the fields of exploitation indicated above;
17. Participants in the competition agree that the Organiser may use the name and surname of the Authors of the projects for information purposes without remuneration for the use of the works and of the photographs and recordings depicting the works, including, in particular, remuneration for the dissemination of the photographs on the website and other public communication of the photographs for promotional purposes.
By sending your work to the organiser’s address, the participant accept the terms and conditions of the Project.
Participation in the project does not incur any costs for participants.
All matters covered by the Competition shall be ruled by the Polish law.
We cordially invite you to participate in the project
prof. Zbigniew Bajek - originator and coordinator of the project.
dr Jolanta Kuśmierska - originator and coordinator of the project.
Information on the processing of personal data
Pursuant to Article 13(1) and (2) of the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation), hereinafter referred to as the ‘GDPR’, the Academy informs that:
1) The Controller of your personal data is the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. It is possible to contact the Controller by post at the following address: pl. Matejki 13, 31-157 Kraków and by e-mail at [email protected].
2) The Controller appointed a Data Protection Officer who can be contacted at the Controller’s registered office address and by email: [email protected].
3) Your personal data provided voluntarily in the metric or possibly in the reflections included in the submitted works will be processed by Controller to organise and implement the Kafka - International Mail Art project on the basis of the Terms and Conditions of the Kafka - International Mail Art project, on the basis of your voluntarily given consent to the processing of your personal data in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR.
4) The provision of personal data is voluntary, but necessary to participate in the project.
5) The recipients of your personal data will be entities entitled to obtain personal data on the basis of provisions of law. Your data may be transferred to entities processing personal data on behalf of the Controller, such as IT service providers and entities processing data for purposes specified by the Controller – whereby such entities process data on the basis of a contract with the Controller. In addition, your personal data may be made available at the Controller’s facilities as part of the exhibition organised, on the Controller’s websites and on the Controller’s social media, so the recipient may be any person who visits these places.
6) Your personal data may be stored until you withdraw the consent you gave.
7) You have the right to:
a) access to your data, obtain a copy of your data and rectify your data,
b) erasure or restriction of the processing of your personal data,
c) object to such processing,
d) withdraw the consent to data processing at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of the processing carried out on the basis of the consent before its withdrawal.
– in the cases and under the conditions set out in the GDPR. Rights can be exercised by contacting the Controller.
8) In addition, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the President of the Office for the Protection of Personal Data when it is justified that your personal data is being processed by the Controller contrary to the provisions of the GDPR.
9) No decisions will be taken on the basis of your personal data by automated means, including profiling.
10) Your personal data will not be transferred to a third country or an international organisation.
Clause of consent to the processing of personal data:
I consent to the processing of the personal data I have provided by the Controller – the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków for the purpose of organising and implementing the Kafka - International Mail Art project, including their publication in the Controller’s facilities, on the Controller’s website and in the Controller’s social media, under the terms and conditions set out in the present terms and conditions.
Date and Signature of participant:
