2 years ago Jarek Iwanicki started this Polish Gallery. He invited his friends to make exhibitions. ‘Just begin and see where it ends' An open mind and a lot of energy made things, like this Gallery, possible. A year ago I joined him. I suppose we are a good team now.

Jarek, in this exhibition, your first, you are Sjark Iwanix, with an X. You told me how you want to stand in life, you say: A dog doesn't bite the hand that feeds it. You want to be independent and free, not controlled by anything or anyone. You want to bite like a shark which is superior to the dog's bite. Your strategy is to fight Ikea disguised as a harmless goldfish! Ikea, that symbolizes the mediocrity of our times.

I thought, Jarek, you are a Don Quichotte struggling with windmills, a fight he never won. For sure, Ikea will not notice you, because you are a little Polish chicken! How can you fight against them? But what if Sjark Iwanix is not Don Quichotte but Cervantes himself, the writer? Then things become more clear, because Cervantes created Don Qiuchotte as an idea! A true artist. Jarek, follow his example!

This exhibition is also an idea, a concept. Rebel with a cause and against all odds, Sjark Iwanix starts his battle here and now. In the near future, Ikea will think things over, and ask themselves where it all went wrong. They will find out their trouble started in this Polish Gallery where Sjark Iwanix began his Ikea-concurrenz project. He is like the butterfly in the Fermat theory; Now it is only flapping it's tiny wings but in the future it will cause a raging storm. Ikea, you are warned.

Dear guests, enjoy the art, you can buy almost everything here. Be generous to the Sjark, At this moment he is still harmless and his work is cheap.

Harmen Verbrugge

Pool120 Gallery

Henegouwerlaan 120, Rotterdam

http://www.pool120.com/

Photo's from opening exhibition "ikEaConcuRRentie"

Harmen Verbrugge and Sjark Iwanix

Foto's Grace Wychowanska