20/11/2025
exhibition opening
Kat Zavada
Embassy
- On 20 November (Thursday) at 7 p.m., we invite you to the opening of Kat Zavada's exhibition Embassy.
- Embassy transforms the gallery space into a temporal diplomatic outpost of a fictional, neo-monarchist political entity. The project is a critical study of contemporary fantasies about alternative forms of social organization, inspired by the idea of a network state—a digitally born state as described by Balaji Srinivasan, an entrepreneur and theorist from Silicon Valley, in which online communities construct their own decentralized institutions (based, among other things, on blockchain), consolidate capital and coordination in the cloud, and subsequently pursue real agency in the physical world, e.g. by acquiring territory and seeking diplomatic recognition.
- The artist engages in a thought experiment: what would happen if we applied literally these techno-utopian concepts? The inspiration for the project came from a real-life event: a luxury ball organized by Polymarket (a blockchain-based betting platform) during the 2024 election night in New York City. At this party, the new tech elite celebrated in an aristocratic setting, turning politics into a spectacle and an opportunity for financial speculation.
- We want the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art to be a place for everyone. To help us tailor the event to you and your needs, please contact dostepnosc@u-jazdowski.pl no later than on the Monday preceding the event.
