Józef Makal. Four Decades, One Gaze

Józef Makal's photographs create a multidimensional record of life in Upper Silesia and Zagłębie Dąbrowskie in the second half of the 20th century. For almost four decades of working as a photojournalist for "Dziennik Zachodni", he documented the reality of the region – from official events to ordinary, often unnoticed moments of everyday life. His photos are not just a chronicle of the era, but above all, a story about man and his place in a changing world.

Makal observed local residents with exceptional attentiveness – at work, on the street, during moments of rest and social gatherings. He was interested in gestures, relationships, and situations that create an authentic image of social life. His natural environment was the city: streets, squares, housing estates, and courtyards, where everyday life intertwined with the dynamics of urban change. Industry remained an important context of this reality – present as a background and a force organizing the rhythm of life, but never overshadowing the human element.

This exhibition is the result of many years of efforts related to securing and cataloging the photographer's legacy. After years of the absence of a significant part of the archive, materials rediscovered by the family allowed for a rediscovery of his work. Thousands of negatives and transparencies, which reveal the richness of themes undertaken by Makal – from industry and work, through urban life, to foreign travels, political events, and the world of childhood everyday life – found their way into the collections of the Silesian Museum in Katowice.

At the center of these stories is always man. Regardless of the context, Makal shows the individual as part of a larger community and a specific social space. His photographs retain journalistic vigilance and at the same time a humanist sensitivity, thanks to which even the simplest scenes acquire universal meaning.

The exhibition Józef Makal. Four Decades, One Gaze is an attempt to restore the memory of one of the most important photojournalists of the region and an invitation to look at history through the prism of his lens.