From ‘revitalising shock’ to ‘mindless fabrication of views’ – about plein-air events in Paczków during the times of the Polish People’s Republic

Abstract

The article discusses plein-air events organised in Paczków (Opole Voivodeship) by the Opole Region of the Association of Polish Artists in the years 1967–1979. The text, based primarily on press reports and archival materials, as well as on witness accounts of the Opole milieu collected in the past, traces the evolution of the plein-air events from a local event to international gatherings. It focuses mainly on non-artistic issues – organisation, financing, living conditions, and relations with the media and the authorities. It shows the plein-air meetings of Paczków as a characteristic event of its time.