Database

Abstraction.PL │ Abstract Art in Polish Painting 1945–2017

April 20 – August 19 2018, Start and end dates


The exhibition prepared by the Olomouc Museum of Art offers a panorama of Polish abstract art from 1945 to our time. It aims primarily at the portrayal of the variety of trends, the richness of personalities and individual artistic attitudes and transformations of Polish post-war abstract painting. At its core are exhibits loaned from the private collections complemented by a selection of works from the collections of the National Museum in Warsaw, the Museum of Art in Łódź, and Zachęta National Gallery of Art.

The exhibition emphasises two main currents of abstract art: emotional and geometrical. Therefore, you can find here works that belong to Tachism, Art Informel, matter painting, as well as structural paintings, and the ones that continue the geometric-constructivism trend defined by the first avant-garde. The currents that were born from abstract art, such as conceptualism and concrete poetry, are also signalled. The individual trends can be followed in their chronological order. 

The organisers intended to develop a thorough and at the same time unorthodox picture of the Polish post-war abstract painting, leaving an option for individual interpretation. The artists who have moved within this realm differ greatly, should I however want to find a common theme for their efforts, it would in be the words of Maria Jarema extended to us from a difficult past, yet remaining unvaryingly valid: “Art is born from freedom of thinking”.

Participating artists:
Tamara Berdowska, Jan Berdyszak, Marian Bogusz, Tadeusz Brzozowski, Stanisław Dróżdż, Wojciech Fangor, Stanisław Fijałkowski, Andrzej Gieraga, Stefan Gierowski, Wanda Gołkowska, Józef Hałas, Mieczysław Janikowski, Maria Jarema, Jerzy Kałucki, Tadeusz Kantor, Bronisław Kierzkowski, Aleksander Kobzdej, Koji Kamoji, Edward Krasiński, Janina Kraupe, Jerzy Kujawski, Jan Lebenstein, Alfred Lenica, Danuta Lewandowska, Piotr Lutyński, Adam Marczyński, Jadwiga Maziarska, Alfons Mazurkiewicz, Kazimierz Mikulski, Michał Misiak, Jerzy Nowosielski, Roman Opałka, Romuald Oramus, Janusz Orbitowski, Jan Pamuła, Włodzimierz Pawlak, Piotr Potworowski, Józef Robakowski, Erna Rosenstein, Jerzy Rosołowicz, Teresa Rudowicz, Jerzy Sempoliński, Jerzy Skarżyński, Marek Sobczyk, Kajetan Sosnowski, Jerzy Stajuda, Henryk Stażewski, Jonasz Stern, Władysław Strzemiński, Wacław Szpakowski, Bogusław Szwacz, Leon Tarasewicz, Jan Tarasin, Tomasz Tatarczyk, Jerzy Tchórzewski, Teresa Tyszkiewicz, Marian Warzecha, Tadeusz Gustaw Wiktor, Ryszard Winiarski, Marek Włodarski, Jan Ziemski, Rajmund Ziemski.

The publication accompanying the exhibition contains texts written by authors focusing on selected phenomena. Abstrahentium non est mendacium, the essay by Krystyna Czerni, concerns the very essence of the phenomenon known as abstract painting and the watersheds in its post-war Polish history. The text by Bożena Kowalska on two currents of Polish abstract art is a review of the most important works of artists and the trends the works in the collections of Renata and Grzegorz Król, and Grażyna and Jacek Łozowski belong to. Andrzej Nakov’s article Exorcising the Tragedy focuses on the historical pedigree, inspirations, and specificity of Polish abstract art.
The publication is complemented with artist bios, a timeline, a detailed catalogue of published works, and the illustrative part that contains all the works presented in the exhibition.

The project is co-organized by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute operating under the Culture.pl brand within the international cultural programme POLSKA 100 accompanying Poland’s centenary of regaining independence. 
Financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland as part of the Multi-annual Programme NIEPODLEGŁA 2017-2021. 

Muzeum umění Olomouc 2011-2024