“Sztuka cenniejsza niż złoto” – a foretaste of the collection from the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw¹

Karolina Zychowicz

Posters promoting the exhibition entitled “Sztuka cenniejsza niż złoto” [Art more precious than gold] appear to be somewhat confusing. The title is primarily associated with the book by Jan Białostocki, which has been available for quite some time now; reading encountered by each and every candidate wishing to study the history of art. For the last couple of years, it has reigned on bookstore shelves with a cover featuring one of the best known paintings by Jan Vermeer. In the book, the author did not speak much about the most recent art. What is more, my personal associations bring to mind a poster that once hung in the corridor of the Institute of Art History at the Catholic University of Lublin, which, as far as I remember, promoted an exhibition of Medieval art. For this slogan is organically connected with that period in the history of fine arts – it precisely communicates the idea that it is not gold or precious stones that matter, but the mastery of workmanship. We will not find a trace of golden objects or precious stones at the exhibition. Rather, we may encounter inexpensive and non-durable materials, such as sculptures by Alina Szapocznikow made of polyester, a sculpture by Paweł Althamer made of rubber or the painting by Jarosław Modzelewski and Marek Sobczyk on paper. Therefore, to me this title is not convincing. By way of introduction, it is also worth mentioning that the exhibition comprises the first purchases, gifts and deposits of the collection which is just emerging.

1989

The collection should focus on works of art created after 1989. I believe nobody has to be reminded why this date is so significant. It is of course about experiences of Polish transformation. That is why the halls of the museum’s temporary premises at ul. Pańska have been dominated by the works of disciples of Grzegorz Kowalski, who were very active especially in the 1990’s but also in other periods. Besides archive works exhibited in several rooms, the exhibition featured works by Artur Żmijewski, Katarzyna Kozyra and Paweł Althamer, classified as representatives of the critical art of the1990's. Żmijewski appeared at the exhibition through his extremely moving work "Nasz Śpiewnik" [Our Songbook] created a few years ago in Tel Aviv where he found Polish Jews and managed to get them to recount songs of different kinds – light, patriotic and church songs. Żmijewski, deeply involved in public debates, addresses here one of the more sensitive issues – the common history of Poles and Jews. However, the work which has dominated the exhibition (mainly through the sound) is the work of Katarzyna Kozyra, a key Polish artist of the 1990's. The installation entitled "Kara i zbrodnia" [Punishment and Crime] is a record of illegal games organized on the training ground by a group of people with their faces covered by masks of pin-up girls². The clash of smiling faces and games which they obviously enjoy (shooting, blowing things up etc.) is indeed sensational. The artist again takes up a dialogue with the tradition of the great masters of painting: one of the films refers to a famous series of graphic images by Francisco Goya “Okropności wojny” [Disasters of War] and the title, obviously, to the work by Dostoyevsky. However, Kozyra, as usual, mixes up the establishment of things she reverses the word order of famous titles or sexes of participants of the event. The exhibition also presented works of an extremely interesting middle-aged sculptor, Mirosław Bałka. He is a world-famous artist, predominantly associated with works created in a completely different style from the other works at the exhibition. Thus the work coming from the early, figurative period of his artistic output seems to be an even more valuable acquisition. The sculpture comes from 1988 and makes references, among other things, to the myth of Zeus, who assuming the form of an eagle allured the young Ganymede. Interestingly enough, for the first time while exhibiting this sculpture, the artist attached two works of literature: an excerpt from the book by William S. Bourroughs and a poem entitled “Wyznanie wiary dziecięcia polskiego” [Profession of faith by a Polish child]. The sculpture has been quite mysteriously mutilated (it is missing an ear and a palm), which is the result of an unpleasant incident during which it was damaged at night by “unknown offenders”.

Artists from a younger generation are represented by a canvas by Wilhelm Sasnal, formerly presented at a controversial exhibition devoted to W. Broniewski, organized by the Raster gallery. Currently, his paintings achieve near sky high prices; it’s often been said that his success is quite unexpected and many have wondered if it is really fair, thus attempts have been made to take a more critical look at his output, by, for instance, The Krasnals group.  The painting entitled “Broniewski” touches upon difficult moments in Polish history; it presents the writer as a revolutionary poet who at the same time collaborated with the promoters of communist propaganda, a broken man drinking heavily. When creating this image, Sasnal referred to official photos of Broniewski taken during his trip to Kazimierz Dolny on the river Vistula.
The Museum will, of course, also acquire earlier works which are most significant for the overall shape of Polish art after 1945. The collection therefore includes sculptures by Alina Szapocznikow from the 1960’s, the neon sign from the Skarpa cinema and photographs by Eustachy Kossakowski documenting the looks of Warsaw also in this period, or paintings by Gruppowcy, so significant in view of the experiences of the 1980’s, represented by a common picture of Jarosław Modzelewski and Marek Sobczyk “Das Gebet des deutsche Pharers oder Bleistftprobe” (1984), created during their stay on a scholarship in Germany. It expresses the feeling of foreignness of an emigrant from this part of Europe. Also, it brings back the history of interrogations conducted by secret police (UB) agents in the 1950’s (piercing of eardrums with sharp-ended pencils). Today, of course, after the transformation, the painting is not so valid, unless we treat it as a universal picture of the plight of an emigrant.

Top Polish artists (+ one Czech female artist)

The exhibition presented top shelf artists, such as Alina Szapocznikow and Magdalena Abakanowicz. The former’s sculpture, which is among the most influential work of Polish art in the post-war period, is actually somewhere between French and Polish art. For her works shown at the exhibition were primarily created in the 1960’s when the artist went to Paris and became involved in the New Realism movement. They are very representative of her artistic output – “Lampe III” is a polyester breast cast placed on a lace drapery, “Pierś iluminowana” [Illuminated breast] is an original lamp made from polyester casts of lips and breasts. “Ventre” is nothing else but a cast of a belly, and what is more, the belly of the fiancée of a famous writer, Roland Topor. This piece is significant primarily because it forms a starting point for numerous other sculptures of the artist. These works comprised innovative experiments, with their use of new materials and creation of seemingly functional items. They have often been compared to sculptures by César Baldaccini; however, the similarity is only superficial.  The key issue for Szapocznikow is the question of corporeality – one should not forget about her stay in a concentration camp and her battle with cancer³. It should also be mentioned that the figure of the artist is supposed to comprise one of the major points of interest of the new museum which sets itself the goal of promoting the artist worldwide⁴. The presented works form a strong basis for works of art created by women in later periods, as they herald the arrival of the feminist trend in Polish art. On the other hand, there are no problems with promoting the artistic output of Magdalena Abakanowicz, known worldwide since the 1960’s, when she became famous for her innovative experiments with fabric. Her presence is emphasized by works belonging to two different series. One of the most recognizable tokens of her output is a crowd of impersonal figures, very often made from jute bag, present at the exhibition through “7 figur” [7 figures] (2008). This work contrasts with a sculpture of a somewhat bulky and military nature and similar name – “Giver” (1992) coming from the series entitled “Gry wojenne” [War games] begun by the artist in 1987.

Art of our neighbours

The museum collection will have a unique character; it will fill an enormous gap in contemporary museology – not only does it want to present Polish art, but also art of countries with similar history and parallel experiences, e.g. political transformations. This direction of collecting has been announced by the work created by a promising young artist, Katerina Šeda, having the somewhat depressing title “Tam nic nie ma” [There’s nothing there] from 2006. Her action was triggered by the traditional grumbling of people about the hopelessness of small town reality. That is why she examined the schedule of the day of town residents and then imposed on them a scenario she prepared herself: thus all residents went shopping at the same time or they ate the same dishes for dinner. On the one hand, the artist prompted the residents to perform joint activities. On the other, however, we may observe a highly alarming phenomenon – the small town community turned out to be too easily manipulated. In passing, let me add that as a person brought up in a system attaching a lot of significance to learning English, I had no problems with understanding the movie. However, people lacking this skill aroused my sympathy – subtitles were in English only. It is wonderful that the museum cares about a foreign audience, yet subtitles and explanations to the documentation presented in a showcase might have been prepared in Polish as well.

Warsaw

The exhibition is definitely Warsaw-like in nature as it is dominated by artists closely connected with this city. Some pieces have been so permeated by the local atmosphere of the capital city that their full reception is only possible through a resident of this city. A kind of mascot of the exhibition (gladly touched by the viewers and installed on a spring in order to imitate a rocking model, and thus interactive) is a sculpture by Paweł Althamer entitled “Guma” [Gum] related to the most picturesque and mysterious district of Warsaw, Praga, shrouded in different legends⁵. The sculpture presents a drunk standing in front of a shop at Stalowa street; that is why it may be recognized by the majority of Warsaw dwellers visiting the exhibition. Along with the artist, the regular visitor of the district was in this way commemorated also by children cared for by members of Grupa Pedagogiki i Animacji Społecznej Praga Północ [Social Pedagogy and Animation Group]. The work is extremely interesting as it was created with a lot of sense of humour; it becomes a kind of an anti-monument. The toing and froing of the sculpture among the passing people introduces, however, a somewhat sinister mood – at times, this man loses his dignity. This however, calls up circumstances present only in the Praga district itself, where such a dosser is placed at the lowest level of the social ladder – he may be pushed around and humiliated even by small children.
The work by Piotr Uklański is also connected with Warsaw; it is a photo showing the figure of the Pope arranged out of 3,500 bodies of Brazilian soldiers, created at the time of the Biennale in Sao Paulo in 2004. This work outlines features typical for his artistic interests – the use of national and religious symbols and performing activities with the use of space. For Warsaw dwellers, this work is of special significance as they associate it with a billboard displayed on the intersection of Marszałkowska and Świętokrzyska streets in the mourning period after the death of John Paul II. This spot spontaneously became a place of worship and adoration. I believe that in this way the artist managed to convey a much more interesting vision of the Pope than the plethora of Pope monuments flooding our country at the moment. 

Krata [Grating]

Grating, made by Monika Sosnowska, perfectly fits itself into the aesthetics of an old furniture shop, “Emilka”, and is also an example of modern museology and the direction which might be followed by such an institution – not only purchasing works but also ordering items for the special needs of the museum. Sosnowska’s work refers to aesthetics governing at the time of the PRL [People's Republic of Poland], in which she is interested; specifically, to gratings mounted on staircases or in shop doors. On the one hand, it serves as a functional object – it was designed to separate the exhibition room from the remaining space; on the other, it loses its function – it is the source of tentacles which ominously embrace the gallery space.

Archives

The museum also shows how archive materials, which comprise the lion’s share of the present exhibition, will be an important part of the permanent exhibition. An extensive collection of photographs by Eustachy Kossakowski comprising 150,000 negatives and 20,000 slides was presented only fragmentarily. Only a small part of the photographer’s interest has been shown; a few documentary photos showing the capital city mainly in 1960’s (including but not limited to an extremely interesting photo showing the opening of a supermarket) as well as the photo record of a play by Tadeusz Kantor “Gdzie są niegdysiejsze śniegi” [Where has the erstwhile snow gone?]. What is extremely important for the museum is that Kossakowski has recorded artistic life in the 1960’s and 70’s, thanks to which it is possible to reconstruct plenty of valuable events. It is a great pity that we were not able to see the artistic photos of Kossakowski created after his departure to France in the 1970's, such as "6 metrów przed Paryżem" [6 metres before Paris] purchased by the prestigious Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris. The photographs on show reveal another trend in the emerging collection – the museum will put equally strong emphasis on collecting photos.
The exhibition was quite strongly dominated by archive materials coming from the studio of Grzegorz Kowalski functioning as part of the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. Owing to the extensive documentation we gain a broad insight into the original teaching programme “Obszar wspólny, obszar własny” [Common area, personal area] whose implementation might be tracked at the exhibition. The viewer is provided with access to, among other things, notes presenting programme objectives of the Sculpture Studio from 1985: […] 1) All of us, students and teachers having equal rights of a participant, are present in the “Common and Personal Area”. Each individual has their own, specified personal area and access to the area for joint activities. […] 2) We assume that we will not use words but will communicate by means of, generally speaking – signals, signs, visual gestures […] 4) The course of the process is unpredictable […] We agree on one thing: the participants refrain from destructive actions. This self-restriction is necessary, as communication by means of a non-codified language is too feeble a process and may be easily broken by an unguarded gesture. At the exhibition we may observe the evolution of the programme implemented by Kowalski – from the first project (1981/82) completed at the Department of Industrial Design, through exercises in 1991/92 that were “moved out” from the studio as there arose the need to show it to a wider audience, to the project from 2006/2007 presenting changes introduced two years before. The Sculpture Studio, opened by Prof. Kowalski, has changed its status into the Studio of Audio-Visual Space, thus as part of the task “Common Area, Personal Area” the students had to make a film comprising their subjective interpretation of the process occurring in the studio. Passing all these rooms provides you with the adventure of encountering an original educational method. The only thing the museum could have additionally provided are seats, essential should visitors wish to better acquaint themselves with the practical experience documented in such an extensive manner.

Design

The fact that the museum is planning to deal with design as well is communicated to visitors by the first piece encountered on entering the temporary premises of the museum – the neon sign from the "Skarpa" cinema in Warsaw, recently demolished.

This piece fits perfectly in current discussions about demolishing valuable, late-modernism architectural facilities, such as the cinema, which lost its battle with a new, costly undertaking. Appeals by architects and other specialists have not brought any results, and therefore this neon sign constitutes a rather sad symbol of our times. This piece also refers to discussions on the need to save all Warsaw neon signs, which are very often examples of good quality, post-war design. Until recently, they were ignored, whereas now the idea of creating a special museum has even been suggested.

2014. It is in this year that the opening of new premises of the museum should take place. Founders of the institution mean the building to be the pride of our country; it shall be what the Pompidou Centre is for Paris, or the Tate Modern for London. Poland needs such an institution: a place shaping interest in the visual arts. By that time, a permanent collection should have emerged as a result of regular purchases. It will be of a unique nature that will set it apart internationally. “Sztuka cenniejsza niż złoto” will present the first museum acquisitions. It is difficult to foresee what final shape the collection will take, but one can already discern major trends the museum is interested in. They include a closer look at the art of Central and Eastern Europe (it’s a pity that this theme has been so under-emphasized, by only one work), focusing on phenomena emerging after 1989 without neglecting the earlier phenomena which were essential for the later ones, collecting archive materials, an interest in design, photography and even ordering works designed especially for the needs of the museum.

Footnotes:
1 The exhibition was held between December 6, 2008 – January 24, 2009.
2 A trend appearing mainly in 1940’s and 1950’s usually manifested through posters presenting beautiful smiling girls. Such posters were used by men to hang above their beds.
3 This thesis has at least been put forward by Agata Jakubowska, author of the book entitled “Portret wielokrotny dzieła Aliny Szapocznikow” [Multiple portrait of the work by Alina Szapocznikow]. This intuition might have been heard during her lecture (comprising part of the whole series of meetings devoted to this collection) on sculptures found at the exhibition.
4 The museum wishes to undertake extensive research on the output of Szapocznikow. On May 16, 2009, that is, on the artist’s birthday, a session devoted to the sculptress with the participation of researchers from all over the world is planned to be organized.
5 For example, saying that the vast majority of Praga dwellers never cross the magic border, i.e. the river Vistula. All their life is spent only in this district.