Interbeing

Exhibition

Interbeing is a textile-based exhibition by Barbara Janczak exploring interconnectedness, continuity with the living world, and forms of community that extend beyond the human. The project continues the artist’s ongoing research into spirituality and meditation, with particular attention to the cultural context of Central Europe.

Drawing on traditional ornamentation and botanical iconography found in sacred art, Janczak has created a series of jacquard textiles that reinterpret religious symbolism and representations of nature through the lens of contemporary spiritual inquiry. The works invite viewers to reflect on alternative ways of experiencing belonging, contemplation, and connection in a rapidly changing world.

The exhibition addresses several interconnected themes. Weeds appear as a metaphor for unwanted or excluded elements, while simultaneously embodying resilience, persistence, and the transformative power of nature within religious spaces. The project also examines the presence of plants in sacred art, exploring floral motifs and decorative patterns as carriers of symbolic meaning. Finally, it considers mindfulness and contemporary forms of spirituality that emerge beyond traditional religious structures, seeking new spaces for meditation, reflection, and collective experience.

Through woven imagery and material presence, Weeds proposes a vision of spirituality rooted in coexistence, interdependence, and attentiveness to both human and non-human forms of life.

The project was realized with the support of the City of Kraków Scholarship Program, the University of the National Education Commission in Kraków (UKEN), and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. The jacquard textiles were woven by Iza Sojka of The Most.