The exhibition brings closer the issues of private collecting and the anthropology of things on the example of the work of Opoczno embroideresses collected by Teresa Szwedkowicz. Among the numerous themes explored in the exhibition, those concerning the relationship between objects and people are particularly prominent. The starting point is passion, a hobby that can affect each and every one of us, and by becoming the content of life, bears fruit in the form of a monumental collection, which acquires the status of a historical museum artefact.

The exhibition presents all the characteristic elements of the collection of Opoczno costumes, embroideries and photographs collected and compiled by Teresa Szwedkowicz, the vast majority of which are in the PME collection.

ABOUT THE COLLECTOR
Teresa Szwedkowicz (1930-2001) was a teacher of art and technical education at a secondary school in Opoczno, and a lover of her home region. She created a collection of Opoczno costume and embroidery, as well as photographs, for over 40 years. During this time, she reportedly collected around 5,000 objects. She mainly collected elements of a bride's wiana and wedding dress (shirts, towels, bed covers, fragments of the dress) and photographs related to family rituals. This is the first exhibition in Poland to present Teresa Szwedkowicz's collection: not only the collected objects, but also her relationship with the embroiderers, her working methods and the way she popularises the collection. The exhibition explores the relationship between people and things, and non-material heritage. Teresa Szwedkowicz not only collected objects, but also systematised and compiled them, creating catalogues and writing articles. Her work is an example of private collecting: emotional, inextricably linked to both the object of the collection and its custodian.

At the same time, Teresa Szwedkowicz was a creator - she embroidered and cut out by herself, learning from folk artists, and her creations became objects of collection and cultural heritage. In her work as a teacher she used the collection as a teaching aid, and as a populariser she presented it at exhibitions.

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
The collection was created entirely by a woman, through the work of women, and with women in mind. It tells the story of embroidery and sewing, activities which were most often engaged in by women, creating a kind of community of transmission of tradition and content. Thus, with this thread, it is also part of the current of herstory, i.e. history researched and written from the perspective of women's experiences. Indirectly, it prompts reflection on memory practices and intangible heritage, which includes embroidery.

On display will be parts of the Opoczno costume, linen and woollen samples of garment fabrics and textile elements used to furnish a home (towels, pillowcases, tablecloths, napkins, textiles), cut-outs and Easter eggs. Complementing the material collection of costumes is a collection of photographs and glass negatives with catalogues and descriptions made by the collector, as well as chronicles of her activities with photographs. Her works will be presented in an interactive way. Some of them the viewer will be able to touch.