"Abstract Polish Art"

On Friday, November 13, at 6:00 PM, the opening of the exhibition "Abstract Polish Art" will take place at the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, Kaunas Picture Gallery (K. Donelaičio St. 16, Kaunas). The exhibition introduces the most significant phenomena and artists of Polish art from the 1950s to the present day. Comprising a collection of paintings, photograms, and spatial objects from private collections, it surveys the history of Polish contemporary art from the perspective of the 20th and 21st centuries. A pleasant surprise in this exhibition, which is largely oriented towards painting, is the work of world-renowned artist Magdalena Abakanowicz. The exposition presents three monumental abakans and the sculptural installation "Black Ball" (Pol. Czarna kula), which is being shown on the international stage for the first time since its creation in 1986–1987, making it a special premiere. "Abstract Polish Art" is a multifaceted, retrospective exhibition presenting 94 years of Polish avant-garde art development. Post-war abstraction, born in the interwar period, became a form of protest against socialist realism (socrealism) and a bold declaration of connection with the art of the Western world. Chronologically, the earliest work in the exhibition is a heliography by Karol Hiller, dated approximately 1932–1934; the oldest painting, created in 1950, belongs to the icon of Polish avant-garde art, Maria Jarema, while Tomasz Ciecierski painted his latest canvases in 2018. The authors of the project dedicate this exhibition to the Lithuanian public, who are familiar with Polish painting but perhaps less aware of the traditions of Polish abstract art and, in particular, such an impressive variety of authors. In the history of Lithuanian painting, abstraction occurred less frequently than manifestations of expressionism. Therefore, it is likely that these variations of Polish abstraction will become an intriguing and inspiring discovery for Lithuanian art lovers. The exhibition also recalls a historical event that occurred in 1923, which is essentially forgotten in both Poland and Lithuania. At that time, a stunning exhibition was held in the foyer of the "Corso" cinema in Vilnius, initiated by Polish artist Władysław Strzemiński and Lithuanian artist Vytautas Kairiūkštis. This was the first appearance of the historic Polish avant-garde group called Blok. A magazine of the same name was published, and facsimiles of its pages and the catalog content are presented in this exhibition as a historical supplement in a separate section. The beginning of the constructivist avant-garde is associated with the "Corso" cinema. A retrospective of the paintings of Henryk Stażewski, who participated in the event at that time, is being presented in Kaunas 103 years later. The second segment of the exhibition presents a collection of abstract photographs. On display are a heliography by Karol Hiller (1938), phenomenal photograms by Fortunata Obrąpalska (1948), experimental photographs by Bronisław Schlabs, and conceptual photographic works by Zygmunt Rytka from the 1980s. Exhibition curator: Krzysztof Stanisławski The works on display were kindly loaned to the exhibition by private Polish collectors: Jolanta and Piotr Marzec (Częstochowa, Warsaw), Katarzyna Szafrańska (Poznań), Artinfo (Warsaw), and Krzysztof M. Bednarski (Rome, Warsaw). Exhibition coordinators: Izabella Stanisławska, Lina Pranaitytė, Vaiva Mikelionytė Project organizer: Kampania Artystyczna, Warsaw Project partner: Polish Institute in Vilnius Information partner: Artinfo The project is partially funded by: The Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Culture Promotion Fund Exhibition dates: 2026 11 13–2027 01 03 The exhibition opening event is free; on other days, entry is with a museum visitor ticket.

The event is public and may be filmed and photographed. By participating in the event, you agree to be visible in event photos and videos and are informed that these photos and videos may be published publicly.