Documentalist, photographer, sociologist, academic teacher. Mainly interested in long-term projects focusing on envisioning broader processes through their aftermath and consequences.
Recipient of the Young Poland 2024 Ministry of Culture scholarship, PixHouse Talent of the Year Scholar award, Artistic Scholarship of the Mayor of Wrocław 2024. Winner of Urbanautica Institute Award, Enconctros da Imagem Discovery Award and Spojrzenia Award. Received honorable mentions in Allegro Prize, Lodz Fotofestival Grand Prix, and CDS Documentary Essay Prize, finalist of the Polityka Passports Award and Grand Press Photo. His works are in collections of Encontros Da Imagem (PT) and National Institute of Architecture and Urbanism (PL).
As a sociologist, he researches modern iconographies and visual narratives. Vice Dean of the Faculty of Design at SWPS University and Head of Communication Design speciality at the School of Form USWPS. Creator of workshop programs, co-founder of Azimuth Press art/education collective. Co-founder of the Archive of Public Protest platform. Graduate of Applied Sociology Department of University of Warsaw, and of Institute of Creative Photography of Silesian University in Opava (MA). Part time musician and sound artist under various monikers. DIY / zine culture enthusiast.
Awards:
2024: laureate, Young Poland Scholarship of Polish Ministry of Culture (for: Anew)
2024: winner, PixHouse Talent of the Year Scholar Award (for: Anew)
2024: laureate, Artistic scholarship of the Mayor of Wrocław (for: Anew)
2021: winner, Spojrzenia (with APP collective)
2021: nomination, Paszport Polityki (with APP collective)
2021: winner, Urbanautica Institute Awards (for: Makeshift)
2020: honorable mention, Allegro Prize
2020: honorable mention, TIFF Open (for: Zersetzung)
2019: shortlist, Lucie Foundation Emerging Artist Grant (for: Zersetzung)
2019: honorable mention, Łódź Fotofestival Grand Prix prize (for: Makeshift)
2018: honorable mention, CDS Documentary Essay Prize in Photography (for: Makeshift)
2018: shortlist, Polish Photographic Publication of the Year (for: Becva Interiors)
2018: finalist, Grand Press Photo in Documentary (for: Makeshift)
2018: winner, The Magenta Foundation Flash Forward (for: Makeshift)
2017: winner, LensCulture Emerging Talent Award (for: Makeshift)
2017: winner, Encontros da Imagem Discovery Award (for: Makeshift)
2017: finalist, Photon’s Different Worlds (for: Makeshift)
2017: shortlist, Lucie Foundation Photo Taken Emerging Scholarship (for: Makeshift)
2017: shortlist, Athens Photo Festival (for: Makeshift)
2017: 2nd place, Belgrade Photo Month New Talents (for: Makeshift)
2015: shortlist, Polish Photographic Publication of the Year (for: Mountain)
Individual exhibitions:
2019: Makeshift, Places of public utility, IFF, Warszawa
2018: Makeshift, MŰTŐ, Budapest
2017: Makeshift, Water Memory, Miejsce przy Miejscu, Wrocław
2012: Home, Fridom, 3A Project Space, Gdynia
2011: Home, Fridom, Galeria Scena, Koszalin
2010: Home. Fridom, G23 CRK, Wrocław
Selected group exhibitions:
2021: Zersetzung, Atlasy Nowych Topografii, Galeria Centrala, Poznań (PL)
2020: Letniska, Nowe Ciepło festival, Nowe Miasto Lubawskie (PL)
2019: Makeshift, Made in Opava, Historical Museum of Katowice (PL)
2018: Home, Gewalt, How to refuse?, BWA SiC, TIFF Festival, Wrocław (PL)
2018: Nothing left to be saved, IFF, Warszawa (PL)
2018: Makeshift, Andere Welten, Photon Gallery, Wien (AT)
2018: Makeshift, LensCulture Emerging Talent, Klompching Gallery, New York (USA)
2018: Makeshift, Topografie, I. Zjeżdżałka Festival, Poznań (PL)
2017: Makeshift, Collection of Encontros da Imagem, Museo Muncipal, Outono Fotográfico, Ourense (E)
2017: Makeshift, Drugačni Svetovi / Different Worlds , Kino Šiška, PHOTON, Ljubljana (SLO)
2017: Makeshift, Encontros Da Imagem, Edifício do Castelo, Braga (PT)
2017: Makeshift, New Talents, Belgrade Photo Month 2017 (SRB)
2015: Concrete, Krajobrazy miejskie, Festiwal Przestrzeni Miejskiej Rzeszów (PL)
2013: To so mladi ljudje, Skrinja Prodajna Maribor (SLO)
2012: it's not good enough, Liebig12 Berlin (DE)
2011: Home, Title Unknown, Muzeum Współczesne Wrocław, TIFF Festival (PL)
2010: Normalizm #1, College of Communication London (UK)
Books and zines:
2017: Becva Interiors zine
2016: Jagmasters & Tape Hiss zine, with Martyna Wyrzykowska
2014: Góra/Mountain zine, with Martyna Wyrzykowska
2013: Iconoclasm in Ena Rola Filma: On images and photographs
2010: Utopia in Normalizm #1
Curator:
2017: Myth and Construction by Michał Sierakowski, LAW, Warszawa
2016: Newer Topogaphics group exhibition, Dom Literatury, Łódź / as a part of Fotofestival 2016
Residencies & Workshops:
2019: Photo Plat(t)form 2019, Winterthur
2012: Ein Lab: interact! residency, Berlin
Education:
2016 - 2024: Applied Social Sciences, Ph. D., University of Warsaw
2018 - 2022: Photography, MA, ITF Silesian University in Opava
2014 - 2018: Photography, BA, ITF Silesian University in Opava
2014 - 2016: Applied Social Sciences, MA, University of Warsaw
2011 - 2014: Sociology, BA, University of Wrocław
Guest lectures & Workshops:
University of Warsaw, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, School of Visual Communication in Kiev, Lodz Fotofestival, Akademia Fotografii Kraków, Lens Escuela de Artes Visuales Madrid, Pauza Gallery Kraków, ZPAF Warszawa, WSF Wrocław, OPT Wrocław, Służewski Dom Kultury, CPK Praga Południe
Selected publications & Interviews:
Od skłotersów po Bałkany, Filip Skrońc, newonce.radio – radio interview available online, March 23rd, 2020 (POL)
“Covid Clubs” – Zdjęcia klubów w czasie pandemii, Paweł Mączewski, Radio Kampus – online, July 13th, 2020 (POL)
I Don’t Want to Go Back to the Constant FOMO, Michał Dąbrowski, culture.pl – online, July 15th, 2020 (ENG)
Mur był na zawsze, a potem nagle zniknął, Paweł Starzec, Goethe Institut Magazin – online, November 2019 (PL/DE)
Korekta postawy, Paweł Starzec, Goethe Institut Magazin – online, November 2019 (PL/DE)
These Apparently Ordinary Places Hide a Horrible, Horrible Past, fotoroom.co – online, October 2nd, 2017 (ENG)
Staram się nie być kolonizatorem, Beata Bartecka, O.pl – online, May 24th, 2017 (POL)
Architecture and Power 2: Block party, Anastasiia Fedorova, Calvert Journal – online, June 2016 (ENG)
Unsettled ground – Revisiting the lost sites of the Yugoslav wars, Anastasiia Fedorova, Calvert Journal – online, May 12th, 2016 (ENG)
Пишите вашу историю: Боснийские концлагеря сегодня, Alina Sandulyak, Bird In Flight – online, June 13th, 2018 (RU)
Photographer Paweł Starzec explores war, landscape and history in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Trip Mag – online, February 5th, 2017 (ENG)
Winners write history: Pawel Starzec inspects Bosnian War’s leftovers, C41 Magazine – online, January 18th, 2017 (ENG)
Contact:
starzec.pawel@gmail.com
+48 665 128 743
