Exhibition of the 9sił Foundation during the European Agricultural Forum
During the European Agricultural Forum, a unique exhibition dedicated to folk art centered around the motif of the horse – one of the most important and most recognizable symbols of the Polish countryside – will be presented. The exhibition, prepared by the 9sił Foundation, creates a multidimensional narrative about tradition, craftsmanship, and cultural continuity.
The exhibition features photographs of sculptures submitted to the nationwide competition “Polish Horses – The Horse in Folk Tradition,” organized in Jeleśnia, as well as a monumental red horse sculpture from the Żywiec Beskids, created on a 1:1 scale. Here, the central motif of the horse becomes a starting point for reflection on the role of folk art – once intrinsically connected to everyday rural life, and today regarded as a valuable and still vibrant element of intangible cultural heritage.
The exhibition also refers to the rich tradition of folk toy-making, which, from the second half of the 19th century—particularly in southern Poland—developed dynamically as a form of seasonal, family-based craft production. Wooden toys, including little horses, were created in pottery and carpentry workshops as well as through cottage-based production by farmers. These were serially produced items, hand-carved and painted in bright colors, decorated with geometric or floral ornaments, and sold at fairs and markets as affordable objects of everyday use.
Over time, this mass-produced and often underappreciated output gained recognition as a fully-fledged form of artistic creation. Contemporary folk artists are now highly regarded, affiliated with professional associations, awarded prizes, and represented in museum collections in Poland and abroad. The importance of this tradition was further confirmed when selected toy-making centers were included in the national system for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, highlighting the value of knowledge and skills passed down from generation to generation.
The exhibition presented during the European Agricultural Forum demonstrates that folk art is not merely a relic of the past, but a living testament to the creativity, resourcefulness, and identity of the Polish countryside. It is an invitation to view tradition not as something obsolete, but as a value that continues to inspire and to build cultural continuity.
