Sztuka fabryka

Sztuka Fabryka is a non-profit artists organisation, conceived conceptually by Geert De Decker and based in Tielrode (Belgium). Sztuka Fabryka is ACTIVE since 1986 worldwide in several fields of creativity and the independent arts.

In 1988 Sztuka Fabryka founded the international “Independent Arts”-festival. Till the 18th and last issue in 2006 Sztuka Fabryka stayed curator. The last two issues of the Festival, became thanks to the help of friends and co-organisers Dries Pauwels, Nico Van Cleemput and Bart Warnier, very successful with visitors and participants from all over the world.

The Festival focused on artistic activities performed in scenes such as home-tape, Mail-Art, street art, small press, … On top of that, video, performance and fine art artists do get the possibility to exhibit and perform their creativity. This made the Festival is unique in its kind.

In 2008 Sztuka Fabryka and his friends will be back with a bigger event called “Amaze / a Maze”. Also in this event Sztuka Fabryka is the curator.

The Sztuka Fabryka Archive is an Archive that focus on international networks such as Mail-Art, street art, small press, home-tape, video art, performance art, art & technology, industrial art & music, surfing on the edge and more. The Archive contains artworks, publications, video, music, … and information from about 1500 international artists. In May 1995 Sztuka Fabryka released Europe's first website about Mail-Art and independent art, called “Sztuka Fabryka Gallery” (www.sztuka-fabryka.be) the electronic version of the Archive.

In 2000 Sztuka Fabryka started with the ongoing project “Mail-Art Encyclopaedia”, a research in the history of Mail-Art and related networking art movements.

As an artist Sztuka Fabryka contributed to several hundred national and international exhibitions. Artworks are located in archives world wide and were published in numerous catalogues, magazines, zines, articles, newspapers, … Sztuka Fabryka has achieved the past 20 years a wide variety of artworks in the fields of: digital collage, rubberstamp art, eraser carving, stencil graffiti, artist trading cards, fluxus bucks, artistamps, performance, design, layout, logo design, stickers, music, video art, graphical art, writings, visual poetry, papier maché, gadgets, urban sculpture, …

Sztuka Fabryka is also co-founder of art organisation “Hotel Volzet” which offers a platform to artists for national and international projects / Founded by Bétime (Bart Warnier), Sztuka Fabryka (Geert De Decker), Nikolai (Nico Van Cleemput) and 3S (Dries Pauwels). The last two issues of the “Independent Arts”-Festival and the “Amaze / a Maze” event are major projects realised by this organisation beside the releases of sticker packs, prints of Ephameron, …

Sources: Sztuka Fabryka website: www.sztuka-fabryka.be MySpace: www.myspace.com/sztuka_fabryka Fotolog: www.fotolog.com/sztuka_fabryka flickR: www.flickr.com/photos/sztuka_fabryka/

Mail Artists Index: mailartists.wordpress.com/2007/07/27/geert-de-decker-sztuka-fabryka/ Spare Room: www.spareroom.org/mailart/sztuka.html Kiyotei Interview: www.art.net/~kiyotei/flashlight/interview007.html