Józef Robakowski was born in 1939 in Poznań, Poland. He is one of the most notable exterimental film creators, he creates photographic series, installations, drawings, objects, conceptual projects, as well teaches and publishes text on art theory.
Robakowski co-founded the artistic collectives Oko (1960), Zero-61 (1961 - 69), and Krąg (1965 - 67). From 1970, he co-organised the Workshop of Film Form in Łódź.
He runs the initiative of the Exchange Gallery since 1978, in which he offers space for exchanging artistic throught and exhibiting of works, collecting films and documentation. The Exchange Gallery is as well a contact office for the international artistic movement INFERMENTAL.
Some of his important video works are the 1973 work "Ide" (Going), an analytical video work of his climbing metal stairs, or "Z mojego okna" (From My Window) from 1978, in which he follows the development of his surroundings from the viewpoint of his apartment window. Also interesting is the film "Ryznek" (Market) from 1970, the first film Robakowski produced with the Workshop of Film Form, in which he modified the speed of the tape to produce a different view of reality.
He wrote various manifestos, such as the "Calling Once Again for 'Pure Film'" from 1971, which goes in hand with the philosophy of the Workshop of the Film Form, in which they focus on making the language of film simpler and information denser, removing narration and different literary form. He teaches at the National Higher School of Film, Television and Theatre in Łódź.