Kasper Kedzierski – “We Tried..."
© Kasper Kedzierski – “We Tried...”
Curator’s Statement: “We Tried..."
On October 22, 2020, the Constitutional Tribunal in Poland tightened the country’s abortion laws. This decision sparked a wave of demonstrations that became one of the most significant social uprisings in modern Polish history. Kasper Kędzierski’s photo essay “We Tried...” documents the events that followed this ruling and serves as a reflection on the emotions of that time. It is a story of anger, doubt, hope, and helplessness, but also of the power of unity and of how thin the line can be between humanity and the darkness born of aggression.
This project reaches into the essence of human nature. It shows how easily anger can turn into hatred and helplessness into violence. At the same time, it reveals what still manages to survive within us — the need for closeness, solidarity, and collective action.
Kasper Kędzierski’s photographs speak of a time filled with pain, sorrow, and exhaustion, but also of hope and faith that standing together was worth it. They show emotions, relationships, tension, and moments of tenderness that could exist even in the face of rage. The photographer approached these events with deep attentiveness. He did not focus solely on the front lines of the marches but also on what was happening nearby — in courtyards, among people observing the struggle from a distance, and on the streets of Warsaw.
“We Tried...” is not merely a record of street demonstrations. It is also a portrait of emotions that define us as human beings. It tells a story about the attempt to understand and the search for goodness in a world that often puts it to the test. It stands as a testimony to a time when people, despite differences in age and background, stood on the same side, believing that a collective voice could make a difference.
© Kasper Kedzierski – “We Tried...”
Today, from the perspective of time, the Great March on Warsaw, which brought together more than 100,000 participants on October 30, 2020, during the pandemic, remains a symbol of courage and solidarity. Many sources indicate that these were the largest demonstrations in Poland since the political transformation of 1989.
Kasper Kędzierski’s photographs are an honest and insightful record of those events. They reveal the truth about a world in which humanity and aggression can exist side by side, separated by a fragile and uncertain boundary. Looking at these images, one can feel both strength and helplessness, both anger and hope.
Viewing this photographic record, I am certain that people did not fail. And I know that the photographer did not fail either. He looked with sensitivity and empathy, without judgment or distance, capturing in his frames the truth of a time that was difficult, yet profoundly important.
© Malgorzata Wakuluk 2025