Artists

Enrique Argote, Ivan Buenader, Emilia Durka, Máximo González

Press release

Opening: 22.08.2026 | 6 PM Enrique Argote Ivan Buenader Emilia Durka Máximo González Organisation: Wolski Foundation Partner: LETO Patrons: Hestia Artistic Journey Foundation, ERGO Hestia, dela.art foundation Cooperation: Towarzystwo Zachęty Sztuk Pięknych We are pleased to present the results of the first edition of the Dańków Artist Residency. The invited artists spent a month working at the estate and sculpture park located near Warsaw - a place with a remarkable history that has long fostered creative work, science, and art. Enrique Argote, Ivan Buenader, Emilia Durka,and Máximo González created works centered on the residency's theme - „space". The initiative aims to create a place conductive to work in close contact with nature and serves as a space for intercultural dialogue. We hope that Dańków will become a place where innovative works and projects are created, ones that could not have been realized under different circumstances. The patrons of the Dańków Artistic Residency are the Hestia Artistic Journey Foundation, ERGO Hestia, and the dela.art foundation. The residency was established in cooperation with Towarzystwo Zachęty Sztuk Pięknych. Máximo González Máximo González created a poetic installation from a willow tree that had fallen in the park in Dańków. González gave it a second life – he found and reassembled all of its dismembered parts. It later turned out that the tree had been cut down because it violated local regulations. The sculpture is accompanied by a series of paintings, dynamic compositions depicting the changing view of the park seen from the windows of the artist's studio. The series refers to Cézanne's landscapes. The paintings are kept exclusively in cold tones. Even naturally warm colors, such as red or orange, have been "cooled down" by the artist. As a result, the idyllic landscape takes on a peaceful yet slightly unsettling character. The entire body of work is united by the themes of transience, memory, and breathing new life into objects. Enrique Argote Enrique Argote understands space in sociocultural terms. He created an installation made of lace bags, into which he placed carefully washed coal. The work is based on a striking contrast - the delicacy and whiteness of the lace are juxtaposed with the heaviness and blackness of the coal, while each has a special value for the artist. He associates a lace tablecloth with a traditional Polish home - a treasured object passed down from generation to generation. Argote views Silesian coal and its surrounding mining culture in a similar light. The material, once called "black gold," in the face of climate change, for many has become a symbol of unrealized potential. For Argote, coal is also a symbol of time, a small object that holds millions of years of history within. The artist questions the true value of coal, while attempting to honor hundreds of years of heritage and intergenerational bonds. Emilia Durka Emilia Durka, who is deeply rooted in the tradition of landscape painting, chose to focus on the trees growing in Dańków rather than depicting the landscape itself. She treated them as witnesses to history and symbols of continuity, linking the past with what is yet to come. As she created more and more paintings, figuration increasingly gave way to abstraction. The motif of trees reflected in water became a subtle self-portrait derived from emotion, a way of seeing, and a personal relationship with the surroundings. The series demonstrates that the uniqueness of a given place does not result from its idealization, but emerges from a mindful, vivid encounter with nature. Ivan Buenader Ivan Buenader has created a series of works on biodegradable foil that move when under the influence of air. In the transfer or stamping process, the artist transfers acrylic paint from cardboard and canvas onto plastic foil typically used to make garbage bags. This creates a distinct contrast between the image and the impermanence of the medium. The films are designed to decompose over time, while the work challenges the traditional belief that a painting should last as long as possible. For Buenader, however, the moment of encounter with the work and the viewer's personal experience become more significant than the durability of the material. In his practice, the artist also emphasizes the importance of dance and movement. The spontaneous gesture of the human body sets the foil in motion, in space, bringing the painting to life. The work is therefore not something frozen in time, it transforms with the movement of air and the presence of people. Each time it is viewed, the experience is different. BIO Máximo González (b. 1971, Bella Vista) is a visual artist originally from Bella Vista, Corrientes, Argentina. His practice is defined by a rigorous selection of materials that dictate the meaning of each work, ranging from painting and sculpture in stone and bronze to ephemeral installations. This material exploration began in his childhood with wood and natural elements, sparking an interest in artisanal crafts and popular traditions. Influenced by philosophical analysis and literature, his approach uses the specificity of each medium to articulate multiple interpretations. His international travels complete a transcultural profile where the origin, source, and exchange of materials operate as the central axis of his research. Enrique Argote (b. 1988) is a visual artist living and working in Mexico. He initially studied industrial and systems engineering before graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His practice includes sculpture, installation, object art and video. He often uses industrial objects and found materials, placing them outside their original context. His work explores power structures, the meaning of labour and the process of creating value in contemporary society. He also questions established norms and ways of seeing reality. His works often engage the viewer and encourage a closer look at things that may seem obvious. He has participated in major exhibitions, including the Havana Biennial (2024–2025). In 2024, he had a solo exhibition at CROMA, and in 2025 created an installation at Torre de los Vientos in Mexico. Emilia Durka (b. 1992) is a painter living and working in Warsaw. In her work, she combines memory with close observation, creating paintings inspired by fleeting impressions and changing landscapes. She is interested in the relationship between place and memory, treating landscape as a reflection of personal experience. Her background in landscape architecture influences the way she looks at space, allowing her to notice its beauty, changes and traces of time. She studied in Poland, Spain and the United States, with a background also including urban space studies and fashion. In 2024, she received a scholarship to study at The Art Students League of New York, where, under the guidance of Bruce Dorfman, she created the series Landscapes of Solastalgia, later presented in two solo exhibitions in New York. Ivan Buenader (b. 1972) is a multidisciplinary Argentine writer, poet, and visual artist. He divides his time between Mexico City and Alicante, Spain. After a 14-year career in Information Technology, he dedicated himself fully to the arts, building a diverse body of work that includes 10 independent novels, 6 experimental poetry books, painting, video art, and performance. His artistic practice focuses on bringing literature into dialogue with visual forms. He is the founder of artist-led initiatives such as CFW Poet Agency. His work has been exhibited in international galleries across Europe, the United States, and Mexico.