The Artistic Council 2024
At the heart of the Grand Charity Auction TOP CHARITY, an annual event celebrated for its remarkable contribution to philanthropy, lies the auction of artworks by pre-eminent Polish and international artists. This selection is not a mere coincidence but the culmination of year-long discussions, debates, and collaborations amongst aficionados and experts in the art world, all of whom form the esteemed Artistic Council of the Grand Charity Auction. The council, including myself, is graced by the presence of esteemed members such as Iwona Büchner- Grzesiak, Rafał Kamecki, Boris Kudlička, and Kama Zboralska.
I am a firm believer in the notion that quality embodies respect. From the inception of the Grand Charity Auction, my aspiration was to ensure that the calibre of the auctioned works was unparalleled. To this end, I established the Artistic Council, extending invitations to some of the most distinguished art market experts in Poland. Our collaborative efforts have borne fruit, bringing to the fore works by illustrious artists like Magdalena Abakanowicz, Igor Mitoraj, Xawery Wolski, Karol Palczak, and Agata Kus. These contributions have been critical in achieving record-breaking results year after year. For instance, last year’s auction alone raised an impressive 28,573,000 PLN. These funds are instrumental in furthering the missions of the Omenaa Foundation, Rafał Brzoska Foundation, and the Philanthropic Consortium, significantly improving the lives of thousands in need.
The OmenaArt Foundation and the Artistic Council have had the privilege of collaborating with an array of distinguished artists, including Magdalena Abakanowicz, Sylwester Ambroziak, Jerzy Baranowski, Marek Bimer, Rafał Bujnowski, Piotr Czajkowski, Tomasz Górnicki, Michał Jackowski, Marcin Jasik, Katarzyna Kukuła, Agata Kus, Przemysław Lasak, Le Corbusier, Angelika Markul, Olga Mazur, Julia Medyńska, Igor Mitoraj, Jarosław Modzelewski, Adam Myjak, Rafał Olbiński, Natalia Olbiński, Karol Palczak, Maria Papa Rostkowska, Janusz Pastwa, Łukasz Patelczyk, Krzysztof Renes, Zbigniew Rogalski, Agnieszka Rowińska, Tomasz Rygalik, Wilhelm Sasnal, Patrick Tagoe- Turkson, Nikola Vudrag, Janina Wierusz-Kowalska, Xawery Wolski, Cyryl Zakrzewski, Anna Zalewska, Łukasz Zbroja, and Oskar Zięta.
Omenaa Mensah
Omenaa Mensah – is the Initiator of the Grand Charity Auction TOP CHARITY, an event presenting the highest artistic quality at a world level, an art, architecture, and design enthusiast who boasts an impressive collection of sculptures, spatial objects, and contemporary paintings. She supports emerging artists as the founder of the OmenaArt Foundation and plays a vital role in raising social and cultural awareness within the Polish business sector, advocating for the integration of social responsibility in the cultural field. Her work spans across borders, including the revitalisation of historic buildings in Poland, Italy, and Malta. Omenaa Mensah is dedicated to preserving cultural heritage, notably through the restoration of 17th-century frescoes by Michelangelo Palloni at Warsaw’s Wilanów Palace, and the historic Villa Luginsland in Malta. Here, she presents an exhibition as part of the first maltabiennale.art 2024, titled Space & Time.
Boris Kudlička
Boris Kudlička a Slovak stage designer, architect, and curator, has significantly contributed to the opera world over the last two decades. He studied stage design at the Higher School of Performing Arts in Bratislava and the Minerva Academy of Fine Arts in Groningen. His collaborations with esteemed directors such as Mariusz Treliński, Keith Warner, and Amon Miyamoto have brought opera productions to prestigious venues, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Royal Opera House in London, and the National Theatre in Tokyo. Beyond theatre, Kudlička has also worked in the film industry and designed numerous exhibitions. Notably, he was responsible for the Polish pavilion at Expo 2000 in Hanover and Expo 2010 in Shanghai, where he won a silver medal. His work has been recognised with several awards, including a gold medal at the Prague Quadrennial in 2007. Between 2011 and 2014, he taught stage design at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. In 2018, he founded Boris Kudlička with Partners, an architectural studio focusing on luxury interior designs for both commercial and private clients. The firm’s notable projects include the Raffles Europejski Warsaw Hotel, family offices in Zurich, a women’s SPA in Doha, and various residential and commercial projects.
Iwona Büchner-Grzesiak
Iwona Büchner-Grzesiak is an art collector, philanthropist, and the founder of the Polswiss Art Auction House, a leading and established entity in Poland dedicated to the professional trade of art. With a track record spanning over 30 years, Büchner- Grzesiak has successfully organised reputable auctions and exhibitions showcasing well-known artists. Polswiss Art is recognised for its high-quality transactions and has twice been honoured with the Forbes Diamonds award, in 2020 and 2024. Her support for the visual arts extends to acting as a patron for the O!Lśnienia awards and providing a platform for young artists to debut at her auctions. Büchner-Grzesiak is also involved in various charitable activities, collaborating with organisations such as the Polish Humanitarian Action, the TVN Foundation “You are not alone,” the Polsat Foundation, Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Society of Friends of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Warsaw, and Wechta Equestrian. Her commitment to philanthropy is evident through the charity auctions she organises, including one for the MSWiA Hospital during the pandemic and a special auction titled Ukrainian Artists for Ukraine at the onset of the conflict. Today, the Polswiss Art Auction House is the market’s most efficient business in this sector, with a dedicated team of specialists organising 5-6 auctions each year, which represent over 25% of the market. In 2023, it conducted transactions worth 68.8 million PLN, marking some of the most significant in the history of the Polish art market and contributing to the increased value of Polish art overall.
Kama Zboralska
Kama Zboralska stands as a distinguished art promoter and curator, having organised approximately 200 exhibitions to date. Her contributions to the art world extend to a wealth of publications. She is the pioneering force behind the Young Art Compass and Art Compass rankings and Gallery (-1) of the Polish Olympic Committee from 2006 to 2023. As the programme director for the Warsaw Art Fair since 2012, her influence extends across the art scene. Her academic engagements include lecturing at the Faculty of Media Art of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. A member and scholarship awardee of ZAiKS, she has also co-authored over 200 television programmes. Her contributions to the amalgamation of sport and art have been recognised with both gold and silver medals “For Merits to the Polish Olympic Movement” by the Polish Olympic Committee. Furthermore, she is the recipient of the Felix “Manggha” Jasieński Collecting – Science and Dissemination Award for 2021 in the journalism category, and the Art Promotion Ambassador Award, conferred by the Business Institute in 2022.
Rafał Kamecki
Rafał Kamecki – an expert in the Polish art market. President and founder of Artinfo.pl, the most important and oldest initiative dedicated to information about the art market in Poland. A graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics. A board member of the Association of Polish Antiquarians and Dealers and the Association of Journalists of the Republic of Poland. Honoured with the “Merit for Polish Culture” badge, awarded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. In 2021, he received the Felix “Manggha” Jasieński Award for promoting the idea of collecting in Poland.Kamecki is also known for his personal art collection.