Chromophilia vol.3

Artists/teams:  Monika Nęcka/Robert Boersma; Jacinta Costa/Carlos Casimiro Costa; Alicja Panasiewicz/Adam Panasiewicz

October 2025

___________________________________

The Chromophilia exhibition explores the subtle yet profound impact of achromatic colours – white, grey and black – on human perception, emotion and cultural meaning. Unlike vibrant hues, which often dominate visual narratives, these ‘non-colours’ carry an equally rich, albeit less obvious, symbolic and psychological weight. Their power lies in nuance, contrast, void, transition and balance. In this context, chromophile refers to a deep sensitivity to these restrained tones and the emotional responses they evoke.

Throughout history, thinkers such as Goethe, Jung and Kandinsky have examined colour as a multifaceted phenomenon. Goethe was fascinated by colour’s influence on perception and mood, Jung analysed the symbolic dimensions of hues, and Kandinsky explored their spiritual resonance. Achromatic colours, though often overlooked, have played critical roles in these theories. Black may symbolise the unknown, death, or elegance; white, purity, emptiness, or clarity; and grey, ambiguity, silence, or transition. Their interpretations vary widely across cultures and time periods.

In Chromophilia project, six artists from Poland, Portugal, and the Netherlands reflect on these shades within their own cultural frameworks, using them as active agents of meaning rather than as absences of colour. Referring to historical uses of pigments such as bone black, lamp black, chalk white, lead white or graphite grey, they invoke forgotten techniques and symbolic layers. The works analyse how black, white and grey influence mood, narrative and spatial experience, and how their resonance differs depending on tradition and personal memory.

This exhibition is a dialogue between cultures and disciplines, bringing together art, psychology, history, and perception. It explores how these understated colours influence not only what we see, but also how we feel and interpret the world. By stripping away chromatic intensity, the works reveal a depth of tone and meaning that is often hidden in plain sight.

Six artistic voices, three cultural perspectives, and a shared investigation into the emotional and symbolic power of black, white, and grey.

___________________________________

BLACK – Monika Nęcka/Robert Boersma

Where does blackness begin? The blackest is where light cannot reach. That is also where shared stories begin – between palms when shaking, between bodies when hugging. Think of blackness that cannot be seen, that can only be touched. What is it then – fear or shelter? Can it be heard? And then – is it silence or a scream? Or is it the epilogue of someone’s complete world disappearing.

GREY – Jacinta Costa/Carlos Casimiro Costa

our Grey is killing us softly… every time we think and develop further concepts and narratives, plus experiences it stars to be as it it,…. travestying, easily adaptable and stubborn :)… or as  Joseph Albers or John Berger say is a character of decodified  space and emptiness;  relational experience;  in between shape and memory; or a passenger of  chameleonic synchronization. 

WHITE – Alicja Panasiewicz/Adam Panasiewicz

Our bodies, like those of other vertebrates, are made of calcium, so we are part of nature. This element makes up our bones and some cell walls. The calcium content of the human body accounts for approximately 1.4–1.66% of body weight, 99% of which is found in the bones in the form of hydroxyapatite. The natural whiteness associated with light and purification is within us human beings.

Activities:
Curatorial tour by the authors – Thursday 16.10.25, 18.00 

Vernissage – Friday 17.10.25, 18.00