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Exhibition “Brâncuși. Sculpting with Light”

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The new exhibition at the MCK Gallery is an attempt to enter the world of one of the most important artists of the 20th century – Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuși – and to look at his work through the prism of light and photography, which for him was not only a documentary tool, but a fully-fledged creative field.

27 September–14 December 2025

Opening: 26 September, 18.00

At the beginning of the 20th century in Paris, Constantin Brâncuși revolutionised the language of sculpture, reducing form to its essence and seeking purity and spiritual depth in it. Considered one of the fathers of modern art, he introduced abstraction and organic simplicity into his sculptural works. The exhibition organised at the International Cultural Centre in Krakow in cooperation with the Romanian Cultural Institute presents a selection of unique photographs of Brâncuși from three prestigious private collections: David Grob, Bruce Silverstein and Christian Reyntjens. The exhibition “Brâncuși. Sculpting with Light” is an attempt to delve into the Romanian artist's creative process, to understand how he perceived the world and matter, and how he used light and shadow to give form deeper meanings. The curator is Doïna Lemny, a renowned expert on Brâncuși's art and author of numerous publications on the subject. On behalf of the ICC, the exhibition is co-curated by Karolina Wójcik, head of the Exhibition Department and author of the concept behind many of the exhibitions presented at the ICC.

The exhibition at the ICC was conceived as a journey, both literal and spiritual, leading from his hometown of Hobița, through his studio in Paris – shown through the lens of the artist himself and in photographs by Man Ray and Edward Steichen – to his monumental works in Târgu Jiu and a return to his spiritual roots in the Carpathians. The exhibition space gradually reveals the successive stages of this journey, highlighting the places and experiences that were key to Brâncuși's development. The Romanian artist's photographic experiments are juxtaposed with the works of contemporary artists: Bogusław Bachorczyk, Maciek Bernaś, Bartek Buczek, Michał Sroka, Justyna Stasiowska and Bogdan Achimescu. Their works – installations, soundtracks, videos, reinterpretations of the studio – build a bridge between modernity and the contemporary, showing that Brâncuși's philosophy remains alive and inspiring.

The exhibition is accompanied by a photobook with text by Doïna Lemny. The publication presents an even wider selection of photographs than the exhibition and constitutes its visual and substantive complement, as well as a permanent record of its key themes.

The exhibition “Brâncuși. Sculpting with Light” is complemented by a special programme of events, including lectures and meetings with Polish and foreign guests (including Doïna Lemny, Herta Müller, Ernest Wichner), film screenings, numerous guided tours and educational workshops.

The exhibition is co-organized by the International Cultural Centre in Krakow and the Romanian Cultural Institute in Warsaw.

The exhibition is part of the 2024-2025 Romania–Poland Cultural Season

The Romania–Poland Cultural Season 2024-2025 is organised by the Romanian Ministry of Culture and the Romanian Cultural Institute, together with the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, with the support of the Polish Institute in Bucharest. During the season, several dozen events will take place, including exhibitions, music, theatre, film and literary events.

Co-organizer

ICC programme policy:
Agata Wąsowska-Pawlik, Marzena Daszewska, Łukasz Galusek

Curated by:
Doïna Lemny

Curatorial association:
Karolina Wójcik

The photographs on display come from the collections of

Featured artists:
Constantin Brâncuși, Ion Miclea

Bogdan Achimescu, Bogusław Bachorczyk, Maciek Bernaś, Bartek Buczek, Marcu Iancu, Wayne Miller, Man Ray, Michał Sroka, Justyna Stasiowska, Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz

Exhibition design:
Michał Sroka

Exhibition producers:
Magdalena Gacek, Dorota Kosiec

Coordination and Logistics:
Karolina Wójcik

Typesetting and arrangement of texts:
Anna Wisz

Exhibition soundtrack:
Justyna Stasiowska

Copyedited, translated from and into Polish, and proofread by:
Błażej Bauer

Installation and execution of the layout:
Art Industry Standard, F.H.U.P. FOREST Marcin Gubała, Emanuel Mróz, Jakub Wójtowicz

Lighting and multimedia:
Maciek Bernaś

Supervising conservator:
Ewa Pietrzyk

Polish Sign Language guide:
Jakub Studziński

Audio description:
Regina Mynarska, Dawid Górny

Typhlographs:
Malwina Antoniszczak

Collaboration:
Agnieszka Adamczak, Joanna Biegacz, Mateusz Bigaj, Małgorzata Bożek, Magdalena Grabias, Joanna Hojda-Pepaś, Robert Karwowski, Agata Klejzerowicz, Dorota Korohoda, Daniel Krawczyk, Paulina Małochleb, Antoni Michalik, Paulina Orłowska-Bańdo, Marcin Pańtak, Łukasz Pieróg, Paulina Roszak-Niemirska, Anna Sawłowicz, Paulina Semianchuk, Klaudia Słupek, Mariusz Soczówka

Photobook “Brâncuși. Sculpting with Light”:

Author of the texts

Doïna Lemny

Graphic design and DTP

Kuba Sowiński

Managing editor

Paulina Roszak-Niemirska

Translations

Marta Duda-Gryc

(z francuskiego na polski / from French into Polish)

Jessica Taylor-Kucia

(z polskiego na angielski / from Polish into English)