Magdalena Abakanowicz

Presence, Essence, Identity

The Old Mine Science and Art Centre in Wałbrzych, in collaboration with All That Art Foundation in Wrocław, are delighted to present the Magdalena Abakanowicz: Presence, Essence, Identity exhibition, the second retrospective of the late artist curated by Maria Rus Bojan.

Opening on Sunday, 30 September 2018 in the centre’s Gallery of Contemporary Art, the exhibition will feature a compelling selection of Magdalena Abakanowicz’s sculptures, ranging from the early 1970s to the late 2000s, including an outdoor display of rare monumental works.

One of the most acclaimed Polish artists on the world art scene, Magdalena Abakanowicz gained her international notoriety in the 1960s for her experimental, and highly uncommon at the time, fibre sculptures generically entitled Abakans. The fluid woven structures made of organic materials significantly expanded the traditional meaning of sculpture, transforming the flat surface of a tapestry into a dynamic space-organised form that triggers complex visual and tactile experiences.

Throughout her entire life, Magdalena Abakanowicz devoted her entire creative energy to the restless exploration of the dialectical relationship humanity shares with the larger natural world, translating her awareness of the essence of things into unique sculptural representations. Resisting all categorisation, Abakanowicz's representations are intelligent forms of physical thinking that challenge conventional ideas of art and raise questions that are essential and universal to human experience.

This exhibition proposes a consistent overview of the artist's creation, highlighting key works from all stages of her career, revolving around crucial themes, such as freedom and loss, resurrection and destruction, identity and difference. Featuring more than 100 sculptures, the exhibition aims to advance the understanding of what the key issues – Presence, Essence, Identity – meant for Magdalena Abakanowicz, and how she revolutionized the history of sculpture through a lifelong commitment to constant reinvention.

This presentation at the Old Mine Centre for Science and Art is the second instalment of an individual retrospective presentation of works by Magdalena Abakanowicz in an unusual industrial and public space.

Following the success of the 2017 Wrocław exhibition Effigies of Life: A tribute to Magdalena Abakanowicz, curated by Mariusz Hermansdorfer together with Maria Rus Bojan, the new show presents a new selection of works, which celebrates the long life collaboration and friendship between Magdalena Abakanowicz ( 1930-2017) and the visionary curator and art historian Marius Hermansdorfer (1940-2018).

The works come from the artist’s private collection, Irmina Nazar and Artur Trawinski collection, MARe Collection and NOWA 20_21 Collection.