Art historian, the founder and president of TUMULT Foundation in Toruń, initiator and director of the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography EnergaCAMERIMAGE, president of Fine Art’s Friends Association “Znaki Czasu” in Toruń, co-founder of the World Art Foundation (together with American director David Lynch and Polish architect Andrzej Walczak), artistic activities promoter, screenwriter, director and film producer, a laureate of many artistic awards. Since 2016 – the main program curator of the Center of Contemporary Art “Znaki Czasu” in Toruń.
The member of the film associations: the Polish PSC, the German BVK and the most prestigious – the American ASC. The member of the Polish and European Film Academy.
Exhibition and conservation activity:
- 1989 – organization of the Toruń visual arts review of the last decade, entitled ,,TUMULT TORUŃSKI. ART OUTSIDE THE CENTER”. The works 264 artists connected to Toruń and the Toruń Faculty of Fine Arts have been presented at the exhibition in the Museum in Toruń;
- 1991 – “ARTISTIC CONFRONTATIONS” – an exhibition presenting the achievements of the 1980s by artists from Poland, the Czech Republic, Russia, Hungary, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands (including works by: Anzelm Kiefer, Georg Baselitz, Markus Lüpertz, Jorg Immendorf , Walter Dahn, Gerhard Richter, Edward Dwurnik);
- organization of individual exhibitions of various artists, including: Ryszard Horowitz, Hermann Nitsch, Helmut Newton, Patricia Piccinini, Edward Dwurnik, David Lynch, Alan Parker, David Cronenberg, Peter Greeneway, Vittorio Storaro, Mike Figgis, Jessica Lange, Bob Dylan, Brian Adams, Jerzy Skolimowski, Andrzej Wajda, Dante Ferretti, Allan Starski;
- renovation and adaptation for cultural purposes of the historic former Protestant Church in the New Town Market in Toruń – current seat of TUMULT Foundation; thanks to the efforts of Marek Żydowicz, the building was added to the list of historic buildings.
Filmmaking activities:
- 1991 – organization of a film review entitled ,,The Road to a New Europe”, which accompanied ,,Artistic Confrontations’91”;
- 1991-1993 – organization of film reviews of filmmakers: Volker Schlondorff, Krzysztof Zanussi, Jerzy Skolimowski;
- 2001 – direction and script for the feature film “Harvest of Love”, awarded at the Ale Kino Film Festival in Poznań and with the second audience award at the Polish Films Festival in Gdynia;
- 2002-2003 – directing a documentary about the collaboration between David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti on their film “Mullholand Drive”;
- 2002 – organization of the Polish extras casting for Peter Weir’s film ,,Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”;
- 2006 – co-production of the film ,,Inland Empire” directed by David Lynch,
- co-production of fictional films by Polish directors, including:
2012 – ,,Dżej Dżej“, dir. Maciej Pisarek
2014 – ,,11 minutes”, dir. Jerzy Skolimowski (Polish Oscar candidate in 2015)
2015 – ,,Kantor”, dir. Jan Hryniak
2015 – ,,Afterimages”, dir. Andrzej Wajda (Polish candidate for the Oscar in 2016)
2016 – ,,Valley of the Gods”, dir. Lech Majewski - Production and directing cooperation on the film “Andrzej Wajda. My inspirations”, directed by Andrzej Wajda and Marek Brodzki
Selected awards:
1989 – President of Toruń Prize
1990 – Toruń Voivode Prize
1999 – ZPAP decoration for implementation of TUMULT Foundation and Camerimage Festival programme
2000 – Laureate of ,,Gazeta Wyborcza” plebiscite „Toruń dweller of XX century”
2003 – Polityka Golden Laurel to Culture Creator for „organizing first cinematography festival in the world – Camerimage, which yearly draws a lead of Polish and world cinema artists”
2005 – BSC Special Achievement Award for creating International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography
2006 – Minister of Culture and National Heritage Annual Award
2011 – BVK Special Award granted by the German Society of Cinematographers
2011 – Special Award of the Voivodeship Marshal granted by the Marshal’s Office of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship in recognition of the work for culture and art promoting the region abroad
2012 – Special Award of the Polish Society of Cinematographers (PSC) granted for creating and organization of the Camerimage Festival
2012 – IMAGO Award granted by the European Federation of Cinematographers for 20 years of Camerimage
2013 – American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) – Honorary Membership
Other distinctions:
2005 – Meritorious in the Field of Art Medal – Gloria Artis of the Minister of Culture
2005 – President of Poland Silver Cross of Merit
2006 – „Meritorious for City of Łodź” Medal
