polish design 1955-1968: we want to be modern

polish design 1955-1968: we want to be modern
the national museum in warsaw
february 4th to april 17th, 2011



polish design 1955-1968: we want to be modern, warsaw, poland
image courtesy of DeTnk


this pioneering exhibition of approximately 180 objects from the collection of the national museum in warsaw,
featuring the most important examples of polish design, rarely seen in the west, explores the significance of the
objects of everyday use in shaping modernity and the modern polish identity emerging during the post-thaw period.

the collection of post-1945 design in the national museum in warsaw is the most comprehensive in poland,
and the exhibition benefits from it, showing a whole range of applied arts of the period, including ceramics,
glass, textiles, furniture, and other household objects, periodicals, photographs, and films.



exhibition view
image courtesy of jan lutyk


apart from its focus on the purely aesthetic values of the objects presented in glass cases,
the exhibition also shows 'social lives' of the works on display, namely the ways
in which those objects were represented in periodicals and films promoting modern forms of
life, and the ways in which they were used by real consumers in private interiors of the
socialist poland. this aspect of the exhibition is enhanced by a multimedia presentation
of various features of the material culture of the post-thaw poland, with a range of film clips
of the period.



exhibiting prints on wall
image courtesy of jan lutyk


the exhibition presents one of the most exciting periods of polish design, between the political
thaw of 1955 and the social changes brought in 1968. spanning just over 10 years, the period
gave rise to an abundance of daring experiments that made a lasting impact on design for years
to come. it was the political thaw that led to a sudden, new embrace of modernism. however, for
the most eminent designers, such as roman modzelewski or teresa kruszewska, it did not mean
resorting to an earlier mechanical constructivism, but rather a new art of organic forms, paralleling
the work of alvar aalto or charles and ray eames. after socialist realism, abstract painting was
particularly attractive for artists and part of the viewers. abstract art was identified with freedom.
design embraced this idiom as well, and patterns on ceramics often followed the aesthetic of art
informal and matter painting. ceramic glazes of rich colours resemble paint thickly applied to canvas.



roman modzelewski's red armchair sits in the fore front
image courtesy of jan lutyk



chairs by jan kurzątkowski
(left) image courtesy of o.pl
(right) image © mariusz cieszewski / www.poland.gov.pl


the second half of the 1950s saw the production of a series of the most sophisticated chairs, such as
those designed by teresa kruszewska, maria chomentowska, and jan kurzątkowski. despite a wide
interest in new synthetic materials, which were the result of scientific research, access to them was
limited in poland. even so, several designers, such as roman modzelewski and czesław knothe, did
produce pioneering furniture from synthetic fibres at the end of the 1950s. in furniture experiments,
metal frames were filled with metal netting, nylon cord, straw or wicker. the end result could evoke
more of a sculpture than a piece of furniture.



image © mariusz cieszewski / www.poland.gov.pl


image © mariusz cieszewski / www.poland.gov.pl


image © mariusz cieszewski / www.poland.gov.pl


image courtesy of jan lutyk


advertisements are hung on the wall displaying the way in which each piece was marketed
image © mariusz cieszewski / www.poland.gov.pl


ceramics
image courtesy of jan lutyk


image courtesy of jan lutyk


image © mariusz cieszewski / www.poland.gov.pl


'alfa' by krzysztof meisner + olgierd rutkowski + zakłady artystyczno-badawcze
image © mariusz cieszewski / www.poland.gov.pl


image © mariusz cieszewski / www.poland.gov.pl


opening night
image courtesy of jan lutyk


designer ross lovegrove on opening night
image courtesy of jan lutyk


exhibit designer miśka miller-lovegrove
image courtesy of jan lutyk

curators: anna maga, anna frąckiewicz, anna demska
exhibition design: miśka miller-lovegrove with the cooperation
of małgorzata benedek
exhibition graphics: rafał benedek, antonina benedek / mesmer studio
international communication: paulina shearing / the national museum in warsaw
and anna pietrzyk-simone / young creative poland