About ArtBrut Gallery | ArtBrut Gallery

ArtBrut Gallery & Studio for Socio-Cultural Inclusion in Wrocław

The World of Hope Association has run the ArtBrut Gallery & Studio for Socio-Cultural Inclusion at 46A Ruska Street in Wroclaw, since 2009. In 2024, the Gallery celebrated its 15th anniversary. The Gallery aims to present and actively promote the art and creative output of intellectually handicapped artists and persons with mental disorders, facilitating their social inclusion and seeking and implementing effective forms of support.

This is a long-term and non-commercial project of the Association. The Association raises funds for the project from diversified sources. This is the only project of this kind in Wroclaw and one of very few in Poland. The activities of the Gallery & Studio include a series of exhibitions, art workshops, meetings with artists and authors, as well as various social inclusion actions and creative animations. ArtBrut Gallery has so far organised almost 100 collective and solo exhibitions and presentations of art brut and outsider art. The Gallery has built up its own and unique art collection of art brut and outsider art containing over 600 works. It maintains extensive records of its activities.

In 2013 the ArtBrut Gallery & Studio received the ‘It’s Worth It’ cultural award from Gazeta Wyborcza – Wroclaw in the visual arts category. Projects by the ArtBrut Gallery & Studio form a part of the application as well as the programme of European Capital of Culture 2016.

Major external exhibitions presenting the artists of the ArtBrut Gallery & Studio include:

> ON THE COMMON. WAVES EVERYWHERE 2 / 15th Media Art Biennale WRO 2013 PIONEERING VALUES, Wroclaw 2013;
> ANTIDOTUM / 12th Survival Art Review ‘CITY – INFLAMATORY STATE’ in 2014;
> HANDLE WITH CARE / OSTRALE’015 Dresden, Germany 2015;
> EAT ART / ‘openHUB Europe’ project, Milan, Italy 2015;
> PAR-DELÀ LES TABOUS / ‘Art et Déchirure’ Festival, in Rouen, France 2016;
> 5TH BIENNALE OF URBAN ART – OUT OF STH – OCCUPATION. BWA, Wroclaw 2017;
> ART. BRUT / Retroperspektywy Festival; Art Incubator – Fabryka Sztuki, Lodz 2018;
> Open-air exhibition in the Wrocław Market Square, presenting artists from the ArtBrut Gallery & Studio, Wrocław 2020;
> ”K T H Ł” – ARTBRUT IN THE BULVARS and ARTBRUT DESIGN / prepared on the occasion of its 15th anniversary of the ArtBrut Gallery & Studio in Wrocław’s Bulvars, Wrocław 2024;
> ARTBRUT SUPERSTARS. Photo exhibition presenting portraits of artists of the ArtBrut Gallery & Studio/ Reception Club Café, Wrocław 2024.

The ArtBrut Gallery & Studio artists’ works and texts have appeared in publications and books and have inspired various performances, such as:

> I DO NOT FIT IN MY SKIN, an art book published by the ArtBrut Gallery & Studio in cooperation with the European Capital of Culture Wroclaw 2016;
> NOT EXCLUDED LOVE – a theatrical performance by students of the National Academy of Theatre Arts in Krakow–Wrocław Branch, 2017;
> WORDS – a multimedia performance by musicians Igor Gawlikowski & Krzysztof Konieczny with Jacek Zachodny, a multimedia artist; premiered at the Retrospektywy Festival in Łódź, 2018;
> UNDER A COMMON UMBRELLA / a social book – a publication published by the Wrocław Centre for Social Development, 2019;
> AUTISM SPECTRE – FROM DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPY TO INTEGRATION AND INCLUSION / a scientific monograph, Continuo Publishing House, 2022;
> I AM A PINK TORTE / a selection of poems by Wanda Sidorowicz / art book published by ArtBrut Gallery & Studio, 2022;
> BIURO – BWA Wrocław Press Agency / art magazine;
> RITA BAUM / art and literary magazine.

As part of our projects and activities, the ArtBrut Gallery & Studio have been co-operation with many artists and partners active in Wroclaw, Poland and abroad, both in the broadly understood area of culture and arts, as well as in the field of art brut and outsider art, including among others:
BWA galleries: Awangarda, Wrocław Główny, Dizajn, SIC! and Studio; WRO Art Centre; Entropia Gallery; National Museum in Wrocław and Four Domes Pavilion; Wrocław Contemporary Museum; Wrocław City Gallery; National Forum of Music; 66P – Subjective Institution of Culture; OP ENHEIM House of Culture; ART TRANSPARENT Foundation and SURVIVAL Art Review; Song of the Goat Theatre and Brave Kids Project; Wrocław Puppet Theatre; Capitol Music Theatre; Polish Theatre (currently: Polish Theatre in the Underground), White Stork Synagogue, WuWA; New Horizons Association; Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, Service - Studio Gallery; Nicponiej Gallery; Bourgeois Brewery; MiserArt – creative zone in the maze of exclusion; Polish Poster Gallery in Wrocław; Graphic Arts Workshop – Światowid Cultural Centre; ATELIER Si, Pb…; U/KOS Gallery of Jerzy Kosałka and LUXUS Group; TYC ART – Gate Gallery; TIFF Center; The Eugeniusz Geppert Fine Arts Centre; Reception – Café & Club; Wrocław Culture Institute; Cocofli – books art cafe wine bar; Lower Silesian Film Centre; ‘Tak’ Gallery in Poznan; Theatre 21 in Warsaw; Art Brut Gallery of Lublin; Ostrale Dresden Foundation; ArtiLabo Gallery of Breda, Galerie Art Cru Berlin, MAM Galerie Rouen; Centre Dramatique National de Haute-Normandie.

One of the most important tasks of the Gallery & Studio’s activities is to improve the quality of life and functioning of people with intellectual disabilities and mental disorders. Currently, a group of 20 artists with intellectual disabilities and mental disorders are associated with the ArtBrut Gallery & Studio. They participate in our activities receiving assistance in life activation as well as in social and cultural inclusion. Developing long-term co-operation enables the exploration and implementation of modern methods and customized solutions in social and professional inclusion of people with special needs. Our primary task is to overcome the fear of contacting and cooperation with people with intellectual disabilities and mental disorders resulting either from negative perception or stereotypes. What is important is to engage in social dialogue and the development of a new quality of relations.

The space of the Gallery & the Studio is also available for an open group of recipients – including people at risk of social exclusion, but also for people interested in art brut and outsider art. The concept of the ArtBrut Gallery & Studio is to create a place beyond ideologies, tolerant of "otherness", open to common discussion and various points of view on the contemporary world in terms of culture, life, religion and art. It is important that people associated with the Gallery & have a sense of ownership of their own place for meetings, creation and exchange of experiences, a space they can shape according to their needs and dreams. The ArtBrut Gallery & Studio for Socio-Cultural Inclusion have become an important Wroclaw venue of integration through art.

From the beginning, the Municipality of Wrocław have supported the activity of the ArtBrut Gallery & Studio has been supported by the Municipality of Wrocław. Between 2016-2024 and in 2025 the Gallery & Studio has been operating thanks to the targeted financial support from the Municipality of Wrocław (www.wroclaw.pl) as part of the task: RUNNING THE ARTBRUT GALLERY AND STUDIO FOR SOCIO-CULTURAL INCLUSION FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND MENTAL DISORDERS.

Accessibility

The website of ArtBrut Gallery has been developed in compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Font size has been adjusted for the visually impaired and text may be enlarged. Contrast also may be modified, which is particularly useful for people with various visual impairments. Moreover, the site has a specially designed layout, which enables intuitive navigation with the use of ideograms, which help to navigate the website for people with intellectual disabilities and reading difficulties. Site navigation controls (menu items, artist ideograms) use elements of the works created by our artists. Navigation is possible both with a keyboard and a mouse. Text can be read with screen readers (e.g. NVDA).