HEVELIUS PROJECT: ART, SCIENCE AND MATERIAL THINKING
Alicja Patanowska | Artistic Research Residency & A Ripple Through Time
University of Oxford & Bodleian Libraries | October–November 2026
As part of the Hevelius Project 2026, Polish artist and sculptor Dr Alicja Patanowska is undertaking an artistic research residency in Oxford, exploring the relationship between materials, creativity, knowledge and human experience.
Supported by Zygmunt Zaleski Stichting, in collaboration with On&On Designs, the residency brings contemporary artistic practice into dialogue with academic research, connecting art, science, philosophy and material culture.
ARTISTIC RESEARCH AT OXFORD
Alicja Patanowska's practice explores the relationship between touch, materials, nature and the environment. Working primarily with ceramics, she investigates how making and interacting with physical materials can become a form of thinking and knowledge creation.
Her installation The Ripple Effect, presented at the Victoria and Albert Museum during London Design Festival 2025, provides a starting point for further artistic and intellectual exploration.
During her Oxford residency, Patanowska is developing her research in the stimulating academic environment of the University of Oxford and the Bodleian Libraries, examining how material engagement can shape our understanding of creativity, learning and the world around us.
The residency reflects the Hevelius Project's ambition to encourage interdisciplinary exchange and create meaningful connections between Polish creative practitioners and leading international academic institutions.
A RIPPLE THROUGH TIME: CERAMICS THEN AND NOW
Weston Library, Bodleian Libraries | Oxford | 26 October 2026
Can our hands know things our minds have not yet discovered?
On 26 October 2026, the historic Weston Library hosted A Ripple Through Time: Ceramics Then and Now, a conversation bringing together contemporary art, cognitive archaeology and philosophy.
Organised by the Oxford Polish Association, with Ewa Gluza, as part of Hevelius Day 2026, the event explored how working with materials influences human thought, creativity and our understanding of the world.
The discussion featured:
Dr Alicja Patanowska
Polish artist and sculptor whose practice investigates the connections between materials, touch, nature and the environment.
Professor Lambros Malafouris
University of Oxford cognitive archaeologist and founder of Material Engagement Theory. His research challenges conventional distinctions between mind, body and material objects, exploring how human cognition develops through our interactions with the physical world.
Dr Joanna Bagniewska, Moderator
Environmental scientist, lecturer and science communicator at the University of Oxford.
Together, the speakers explored the idea that knowledge is not created by the mind alone, but also through our hands, bodies and engagement with materials.
The conversation offered fascinating perspectives on ceramics as more than an artistic medium, revealing its potential as a way of understanding human intelligence, cultural history and the creative process.
A reminder that sometimes thinking begins with our hands.
CONNECTING POLISH ART WITH INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH
The Hevelius Project creates opportunities for exchange between Polish artistic practice and international scientific and academic communities.
Through Alicja Patanowska's residency and the public conversation at the Weston Library, the project highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the contribution of contemporary Polish artists to wider conversations about creativity, knowledge and material culture.
The project also builds connections between artists, researchers and cultural institutions, opening possibilities for future collaborations beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries.
PROJECT PARTNERS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Artistic Research Residency
Supported by Zygmunt Zaleski Stichting, in collaboration with On&On Designs.
A Ripple Through Time: Ceramics Then and Now
Organised by the Oxford Polish Association as part of Hevelius Day 2026.
Event Supporters
Polish Cultural Institute in London and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London.
Special thanks to Ewa Grosman, whose introductions and connections with the University of Oxford and the Bodleian Libraries helped make the residency possible.
Location: Oxford, United Kingdom
Residency: October–November 2026
Public Event: 26 October 2026, Weston Library, Bodleian Libraries
