Abakanowicz. Total. Exhibition in the Four Domes Pavilion

400 objects and 50 works in 13 rooms of the Four Domes Pavilion. Not only figures convince us that it is one of the most sensational exhibitions in the National Museum in Wroclaw in the last few years – a retrospective of Magdalena Abakanowicz’s works from the world’s richest Wroclaw collection is an unusual compendium of knowledge on the artist who died four years ago.

‘It will certainly be an important step in the promotion of Magdalena Abakanowicz’s works – although we may think she is known everywhere around the world, this refers only to certain circles of lovers of contemporary art,’ explains Iwona Dorota Bigos – the manager of the Four Domes Pavilion and co-curator (together with Barbara Banaś) of the Wroclaw exhibition Abakanowicz. Total, on which the National Museum in Wroclaw has worked for the last few years.

Total artist

The room with a series of ‘Abacans’ (three-dimensional organic textiles), in the texture of which visitors can almost immerse themselves, looks sensational, the room with Wheel and Rope is hugely impressive, and objects from the Mutants cycle are accompanied by a currently produced and specially selected video that will serve as a surprising visual supplement. The sightseeing tour ends in the room of the Four Domes Pavilion, from the windows of which we will see King Arthur’s Court – Magdalena Abakanowicz’s work placed in the park on the Pergola side.

Apart from abacans, sculptures, prints and paintings, we can also watch documentaries presenting the sculptress’s activity over a few decades in various places of the globe.

The biggest Abacans are 5 metres in length (one of them consists of 15 parts forming a big wall).

The main exhibition is accompanied by an educational display, and an extensive programme of complementary events will be prepared, including a guided tour of the exhibition, lectures, workshops and performances. The activities are addressed to all age groups and to persons at risk of exclusion.

Abakanowicz’s biggest collection in Wroclaw

The Wroclaw museum owes the biggest collection of Magdalena Abakanowicz’s works in Poland (and probably the biggest one in the world and certainly in Europe) to the long-year friendship and co-operation of Mariusz Hermansdorfer, the former director of the National Museum in Wroclaw, with the artist.

Abakanowicz outside the museum

If we want to supplement our knowledge from the exhibition and watch Magdalena Abakanowicz’s works in urban space, there are a few opportunities. On the side of the Oder (behind the National Museum) and behind the Four Domes Pavilion, we can admire stainless steel figures of King Arthur’s Court, and we will come across aluminium Birds beside the footbridge in the Gondola Bay (they previously stood opposite the opera at ul. Świdnicka, but the sculptress wanted them to be located closer to the Oder).

 

Event details:
mnwr.pl

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