Marta Smolińska | “Breaking the canon” and horizontal curating. Polish art at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin

Marta Smolińska | “Breaking the canon” and horizontal curating. Polish art at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin

Lecture from the series of University Open Lectures, curator: prof. Stefan Ficner

October 23, 2024, 18:00
Atrium UAP, 20,  23 Lutego Str.

The aim of the lecture is to reflect on the horizontal curatorial strategy of positioning Polish artists as part of the presentation of the collection of the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, entitled “Zerreissprobe. Kunst zwischen Politik und Gesellschaft 1945–2000 / Extreme Tension. Art between Politics and Society 1945–2000” (curators: Joachim Jäger, Maike Steinkamp, ​​Marta Smolińska; November 2023-September 2025). Can the so-called canon be subjected to a “tearing strength test” (German: Zerreissprobe)? How do Ewa Partum, Zofia Kulik and Natalia LL feel next to Hannah Wilkie, Martha Rosler, Kiki Kogerlnik and Yoko Ono? Why are Roman Opałka and Andrzej Lachowicz shown opposite Bruce Nauman and Otto Piene? What does the neighborhood of Robert Rauschenberg, Arman and Lucio Fontana and Louise Nevelson say about Tadeusz Kantor? Marta Smolińska, from her own curatorial experience, talks about how the Berlin exhibition questions established patterns, referring to Piotr Piotrowski’s concept of horizontal art history.

Press materials of the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin.