The opening of Władysław Markowski’s exhibition coincides with the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. That event, which shaped post-Cold War American society, became a fundamental reference point for narratives about the West in the 21st century. The context of Americanness is significant for Markowski, as he has long consistently drawn upon the repertoire of techniques introduced by action painting—an archetypally American style. Gestural painting emerges as a statement of stance at a time when Trump’s America officially proclaims classicism as its national style, yet in practice employs the aesthetic of a Russian oligarch’s gold-plated toilet.