Paweł Wojtasik

Paweł Wojtasik, born in Łódź, Poland, experienced a diverse early life, spending time in Tunisia before seeking refuge in the United States in 1972. He earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale University in 1996 and deepened his spiritual practice through a residency at the Dai Bosatsu Zendo Buddhist monastery in New York's Catskill Mountains from 1998 to 2000. Wojtasik is renowned for his evocative films and video installations that explore environmental and cultural themes.

Among his notable works is "The Aquarium" (2006), which addresses the alarming decline of ocean ecosystems. His panoramic video installation, "Below Sea Level" (2009-2011), featuring a soundscape by Stephen Vitiello, captures the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Commissioned by MASS MoCA, this piece was showcased at the museum from 2009 to 2010 and was part of the PROSPECT.2 biennial in New Orleans. Wojtasik's short film "Pigs" (2010) received accolades at the 2010 New York Film Festival and the 2011 Berlinale—Forum Expanded, winning the Grand Prize for short films at the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

His work "Next Atlantis" (2010), with a score by Sebastian Currier, premiered at Carnegie Hall, while "At the Still Point," a five-channel video installation, was displayed at Smack Mellon in Brooklyn. The installation "Single Stream," co-created with Toby Lee and Ernst Karel, was highlighted at the Museum of the Moving Image in 2013, with its single-channel version featured in prestigious venues like the 2014 Whitney Biennial.

Wojtasik's first feature, "End of Life," co-directed with John Bruce, premiered at the 2017 DocLisboa and was later shown at the 2018 New York Film Festival, earning a nomination for the European Academy Awards.