Karolina Wiktor creates a new language born from absence
Karolina Victor’s ‘Map of Motherhood’, at the Zaszenta National Gallery in Warsaw, combines drawing, gesture and sound to trace the artist’s experience of post-stroke aphasia through the lens of motherhood. After suffering a ruptured aneurysm and stroke in 2009, Wiktor restructured his practice around visual and concrete poetry and developed Czcionka Braku (Font of Absence). letterpress printing system Born from incomplete and illegible characters recorded during acute aphasia.
“Stroke and aphasia are extremely complex conditions, and aphasia is one of the most challenging disorders overall. Rehabilitation must be comprehensive.” Artist talks to Designboomwhich affects not only speaking, but also writing, reading, counting, concentration, attention, and spatial understanding. At the center of this is the exhibition There is a close bond between Victor and his daughter Iga. Domestic rituals, gestures, pictures, and rhythms became acts of communication and rehabilitation at the same time. This program marks the first time that motherhood was treated as an immediate subject and a social issue in Victor’s practice. survival method. The central argument of this exhibition is that subjectivity, authorship, and voice are not lost through language, but are transformed.
Carolina Victor exhibition. Map of Motherhood, Zacenta – National Museum of Fine Arts, February 20 – May 3, 2026 | All images: Daniel Rumiancew / Zachęta Archive, CC BY-SA
The body as a domain in the Zahenta National Museum
The spatial design, curated by Katarzyna Kołodziej-Podsiadło and exhibition architecture by Maciej Sierpień of Kibera Studio, forms the central metaphor of the exhibition. The body is presented as a territory to be navigated after a neurological crisis.“The hand is an important part of the body because it is directly connected to the brain and cognitive function. Post-stroke aphasia not only results in the inability to speak, but also difficulty in writing, reading, and counting, as well as problems with concentration, attention, and spatial understanding.” A Polish artist taught us. “Drawing and writing are among the methods used in neurological speech therapy.” Thus her book Wołgą przez Afazję (Volga through Aphasia) was born. Wiktor recorded himself reading aloud to his daughter because reading to his daughter was a form of therapy in itself.
The exhibition also includes two games that support recovery beyond words and address a wide range of post-stroke disabilities. The sound appears in the film, where the artist walks around Warsaw, and in her words: “We’ll show you how you can support yourself.” noticed that “The best and most proven rehabilitation is just walking.”
Center: Karolina Victor: table with absent font
A map that cannot be completed by one person
Cartography of motherhood extends beyond the gallery through the NeuroUżyteczna (NeuroUseful) project, a platform developed by Wiktor over 15 years to support the social participation of people with diverse neurological abilities. Workshops, activities and conferences are an essential part of motherhood mapping, and Wiktor makes clear why this collective format is important. “The first and perhaps most important aspect is reintegration.” She describes it as social design. In practice, this means someone who is in advanced recovery will work with someone just a few months after their stroke. “In this way, we help each other, because I know how valuable intimacy, emotion and the possibility of participation are for everyone, healthy and sick, artists and audiences alike.” she explains. Children’s drawings function as directions on a map that cannot be completed by one person. Developed in partnership with Inclusive Arts Center/Theater 21, “Map of Motherhood” will be on view at Zacceta until May 3, 2026.
Center: Karolina Victor: table with absent font
At the heart of the exhibition is the close bond between Victor and his daughter Iga. Image © Design Boom
A typographic system born from incomplete characters recorded during acute aphasia
Subjectivity, authorship, and voice are not lost with language, but are transformed.
After suffering a ruptured aneurysm and stroke in 2009, Wiktor rebuilt his practice.
Motherhood is treated as an immediate subject and as a way of survival.
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