Piotr Szyhalski

Piotr Szyhalski is a Professor of Media Arts at Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD). His practice spans installation, performance, drawing, and interdisciplinary art, focusing on extreme historical phenomena, labor, and time. He leads the long-term Labor Camp project (1998–), which explores labor’s dignity through visual art and public actions. His works have been exhibited globally, including at the Weisman Art Museum, Walker Art Center, and international institutions.

Education: MFA from the Academy of Visual Arts.

Research interests include the interplay between individual experience, societal structures, and historical time. His COVID-19: Labor Camp Report (2021) and We Are Working All the Time! (2020) monographs document his real-time artistic responses to global crises. He was a 2021–2022 contributing artist to the Knight First Amendment Institute.

• Recipient: McKnight Fellowship for Visual Artists (2009)

Notable collaborations include works with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, VocalEssence, and institutions like Eastern State Penitentiary. His projects often blend public engagement with critical reflection on labor and historical memory.