Duckrabbits Unveiled: Postartistic Theory and Practice Against Rising Authoritarianism

Performative lecture by Kuba Szreder accompanying the book launch of visual essay “Duckrabbits Unveiled” (co-authored by Kacper Greń and Kuba Szreder, published by Institute for Network Cultures, Amsterdam 2025)

Moderated by Omer Krieger

Co-hosted by nGbK and the Institute for Network Cultures, the lecture by Kuba Szreder will address a plethora of postartistic practices that emerged in Poland in response to rising authoritarianism. He will offer a sneak peek into the world of postartistic theory and practice with Duckrabbits Unveiled, a comic that he co-created together with artist and draughtsman Kacper Greń. This multifaceted work introduces the duckrabbits—enigmatic creatures who dwell at the fuzzy boundary between art and life. Born a decade ago in the wake of Poland’s authoritarian turn, these figures became the unofficial mascots of the Consortium for Postartistic Practices: a loose network of postartists, militant conceptualists, stray academics, and imaginative activists. Just as duckrabbits can be seen as ducks, rabbits, or both at once, the activities of the Consortium can be perceived as art, not art, both, or neither—depending on the context.

The very notion of postart emerged in the last decade in Poland (which is to say, nowhere) to describe a multitude of hybrid activities situated at the intersection of contemporary art, anti-authoritarian protest, collective self-organization, action research, feminist groundwork, and ecologically attuned activism. It draws inspiration from the writings of Jerzy Ludwiński, who noted as early as 1971:
“Perhaps, even today, we do not deal with art. We might have overlooked the moment when it transformed itself into something else, something which we cannot yet name. It is certain, however, that what we deal with offers greater possibilities.”

Postartists operate on a one-to-one scale, applying art-related sensitivities beyond the narrowly defined sphere of “art.” Their conceptual propositions manifest in everyday life—bringing paintings to demonstrations or organising politically charged reenactments of historical  performances.

The story of the duckrabbits, first sketched for the Postartistic Congress in Berlin and now published by the Institute of Network Cultures, unfolds across a series of comic strips that blend conceptual reflection with cheeky humour. During the launch event, Kuba Szreder will deliver a performative lecture, combining theoretical insights with playful visual anecdotes chronicling the adventures of these elusive creatures. The visual essay can be ordered or downloaded via the website of the Institute of Network Cultures: https://networkcultures.org/blog/publication/duckrabbits-unveiled-a-sneak-peek-at-the-postartistic-theory-and-practice/