Watermans' latest main gallery exhibition Excursion by Katarzyna Depta-Garapich will open from 28th April and runs until 25th June. 

Depta-Garapich is a visual artist born in Krakow, Poland, who now lives and works in London and works in many different art forms, like sculpture, drawing, performance, and video, and this exhibition is being supported by the Polish Cultural Institute. 

Excursion takes the theme of a bear in the Tatra Mountains and is shown through the form of a multi-channel video installation in which viewers adopt many different points of view, watching projections of Tatra and climbing the white bear. 

The images are also accompanied by a presentation of an artist's book which contains a literary essay and over 20 graphics by the artists. 

As part of the project, Depta-Garapich created a white bear costume and climbed the most difficult and highest trail in High Tatras, recreating the routes which are commonly used by local brown bears. 

The white bear costume refers to the mascot which is designed for tourists on the high street of Zakopane, Poland, and represents a person dressed as a white bear that is providing entertainment for tourists while simultaneously side-lining the real bear. 

This exhibition is also a presentation of the artist's practice-led doctoral project that took place between 2017-2023 at the Slade School of Fine Art UCL.  

In her PhD, Depta-Garapich approaches the problem of protecting nature and endangered species and also focuses on the destructive impact of tourism and other human activities on nature. 

Audiences are invited to a special launch event for the exhibition at 6pm on Friday 28th April where there will be drinks and a conversation with Depta-Garapich and art historian, curator, writer, and academic Joy Sleeman.