System of connections

Magdalena Nowatkowska's painting “System of Connections” is the most complex and rhythmically composed work in the “Borders” series. Unlike her earlier, minimalist compositions, here the artist expands the language of form and introduces a multi-element structure, reminiscent of both a neural network and technical diagrams or architectural plans. The work's title—”System of Connections”—becomes a literal and metaphorical key to its interpretation.

The composition is based on recurring modules—organic shapes reminiscent of simplified silhouettes from earlier works in the series: rounded heads, rectangular “bodies,” dark oval “eyes,” or focal points. Each of these forms is connected or separated by a line—a white line, precisely drawn against a black background—creating a labyrinth of structures, directions, and relationships. The lines are sometimes straight, sometimes broken, sometimes softly flowing—as if expressing various types of relationships: logical, emotional, and social.

“System of Connections” can be read as a metaphor for modernity – a world in which individuals exist only in the context of others, where boundaries are not just lines delineating space but also points of contact, relays of information and emotions. The artist asks: are we independent entities or merely elements of a network? Are our boundaries truly our own?

Magdalena Nowatkowska doesn't judge this phenomenon – rather, she observes and records it with the precision of a cartographer. Her painting is a map of hidden relationships, but also an invitation to ask: where do we stand in all of this?