“Touching the Sky” Exhibition Opening at Strzelnica na Woli 13.10.2026
On 10 October 2026, we gathered at Strzelnica na Woli for the opening of “Touching the Sky,” an exhibition by Julen W. The meeting with the Catalan painter marked the beginning of a presentation of his work, in which motifs from Catalan culture appear alongside paintings created during his residency in Kraków.
Julen Vargas Vinacua, working under the name Julen W., comes from Vilanova i la Geltrú and specialises in figurative and realist painting. The exhibition is centred around two themes: castells, the tradition of building human towers, and the Barcelona architecture of Antoni Gaudí. The artist is interested not only in structures and their details, but also in the ideas behind them: community and the overcoming of limitations.
The paintings depicting castells invite us to look at the relationship between the effort of an individual and the action of an entire group. The tower is created through the cooperation of participants who form its base and subsequent levels. Trust has a very concrete meaning here: every movement affects the stability of the structure. Julen W. presents human bodies in arrangements in which an individual gesture becomes part of a collective action.
The second series presents, among others, Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera and Park Güell. The organic forms of Gaudí’s architecture find their counterpart in the arrangements of figures forming castells. Both themes come together in a painting showing a human tower against the façade of Sagrada Família. As art historian Bogna Dziechciaruk-Maj writes in the text accompanying the exhibition: “Both structures — the human one and the stone one — overlap perfectly; both have the same goal: they try to touch the sky.”
The exhibition also includes a Kraków chapter. Julen W. was a resident at Villa Decius, where he found both space to work and inspiration for new painterly explorations. During his stay, he created several paintings depicting Kraków, which can be seen in one of the rooms at Strzelnica na Woli. They allow us to look at the city through the eyes of an artist discovering it from the perspective of a guest.
The exhibition is a continuation of this residency and collaboration with Julen. It shows how a creative stay can lead to the creation of new works and then to an encounter with the public. In this way, we support artists in presenting their work and promote Kraków internationally as a place that inspires and provides the conditions for artistic practice.
We would like to thank Bogna Dziechciaruk-Maj, art historian; Dr Jadwiga Romanowska, specialist in Iberian cultures; and Danuta Glondys, former Director of Villa Decius, for co-creating the exhibition.
By presenting Julen W.’s work at Strzelnica na Woli, we share the results of international collaboration with the residents of Kraków. It is for them that we create this place. We want culture to be close and accessible here: a space where people can meet artists, view their works at their own pace and share their reflections. The opening of “Touching the Sky” was another opportunity for such an encounter.
We would like to thank the exhibition’s media patrons: Radio Kraków, TVP Info and TVP3 Kraków. We are pleased that we were able to host the TVP3 Kraków team during the opening, and we thank the editorial team for preparing a feature devoted to the exhibition.
The “Touching the Sky” exhibition will be on view until 30 November 2026. We invite you to Strzelnica na Woli at ul. Królowej Jadwigi 220 in Kraków every Friday and Sunday, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The paintings depicting castells invite us to look at the relationship between the effort of an individual and the action of an entire group. The tower is created through the cooperation of participants who form its base and subsequent levels. Trust has a very concrete meaning here: every movement affects the stability of the structure. Julen W. presents human bodies in arrangements in which an individual gesture becomes part of a collective action.
The second series presents, among others, Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera and Park Güell. The organic forms of Gaudí’s architecture find their counterpart in the arrangements of figures forming castells. Both themes come together in a painting showing a human tower against the façade of Sagrada Família. As art historian Bogna Dziechciaruk-Maj writes in the text accompanying the exhibition: “Both structures — the human one and the stone one — overlap perfectly; both have the same goal: they try to touch the sky.”
The exhibition also includes a Kraków chapter. Julen W. was a resident at Villa Decius, where he found both space to work and inspiration for new painterly explorations. During his stay, he created several paintings depicting Kraków, which can be seen in one of the rooms at Strzelnica na Woli. They allow us to look at the city through the eyes of an artist discovering it from the perspective of a guest.
The exhibition is a continuation of this residency and collaboration with Julen. It shows how a creative stay can lead to the creation of new works and then to an encounter with the public. In this way, we support artists in presenting their work and promote Kraków internationally as a place that inspires and provides the conditions for artistic practice.
We would like to thank Bogna Dziechciaruk-Maj, art historian; Dr Jadwiga Romanowska, specialist in Iberian cultures; and Danuta Glondys, former Director of Villa Decius, for co-creating the exhibition.
By presenting Julen W.’s work at Strzelnica na Woli, we share the results of international collaboration with the residents of Kraków. It is for them that we create this place. We want culture to be close and accessible here: a space where people can meet artists, view their works at their own pace and share their reflections. The opening of “Touching the Sky” was another opportunity for such an encounter.
We would like to thank the exhibition’s media patrons: Radio Kraków, TVP Info and TVP3 Kraków. We are pleased that we were able to host the TVP3 Kraków team during the opening, and we thank the editorial team for preparing a feature devoted to the exhibition.
The “Touching the Sky” exhibition will be on view until 30 November 2026. We invite you to Strzelnica na Woli at ul. Królowej Jadwigi 220 in Kraków every Friday and Sunday, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.