This is the VASA Foundation‘s new exhibition.
It is titled Portrait of the Past – The Aghori and is by Polish photographer Jan Skwara.
It is accompanied by this text.
Jan Skwara’s project “Portrait of the Past. Aghori“ is a tribute to vanishing traditions and communities that, though still existing, are slowly fading into history. In a world shaped by globalization, the photographer seeks out cultures that continue to preserve their ancient customs, rituals, and ways of life. His work is not only a visual archive but also an ethnographic testimony of these disappearing worlds.
Jan Skwara states that the project “Portrait of the Past: Aghori” is the result of my long-standing fascination with spirituality, rituals, and cultural identity. Through photography, I aim to capture the atmosphere of mystery and mysticism surrounding the Aghori sect—ascetics who reject social conventions in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. Their practices, often perceived as controversial, are an expression of radical boundary-crossing—both physical and metaphysical.
Photography allows me to step into a space where the present intertwines with the past. Each portrait is not only a form of documentation but also an interpretation—a record of moments, emotions, and stories hidden within the faces of my subjects. I want viewers of my project to come face to face with another world, to look beyond the surface, and to feel the presence of something primal, raw, and elusive.
Exhibition curator Malgorzata Wakuluk writes that Skwara used the 19th-century wet plate collodion technique, Skwara’s photographs evoke the feeling of stepping back in time. The method’s unique depth and texture enhance the sense that the subjects belong to a different era—one more fitting to the birth of photography than the modern digital age.
The project is also a homage to early travel photographers such as John Thompson, Edward S. Curtis, and Samuel Bourne, who braved harsh conditions to document distant cultures. Skwara follows in their footsteps, carrying a mobile darkroom through challenging landscapes, from the mountains of Peru to the depths of the Indian jungle. His encounters with the Aghori, an ascetic sect devoted to Shiva, offer a rare and intimate glimpse into one of the world’s most enigmatic spiritual traditions.
Through this exhibition, we are invited to explore a world at the crossroads of myth and reality, past and present. “Portrait of the Past – Aghori” is not only an artistic endeavor but a powerful document of cultural endurance and transformation.
Curator: Malgorzata Wakuluk
All VASA exhibitions are fully archived for future access and viewing :
https://vasa-project.com/
