Muzeum Sztuki (ms) in Łódź: Moved Bodies. Choreographies of Modernity Exhibition

Muzeum Sztuki ms? in Łódź (ul. Więckowskiego 36) is pleased to invite everyone to the exhibition Moved Bodies. Choreographies of Modernity. With its starting point in the sculptural theory and practice of Katarzyna Kobro, the exhibition raises a question about the bodily and movement-related experience of modernity. The theme is tackled through an interdisciplinary approach: in the context of dance, choreographic and theatrical practices.

The first half of the 20^th century was the period of revolutionary ferment, from which a new man ? that of the modernism era ? was emerging. Women pioneering in modernist dance, e.g., Lo?e Fuller or Isadora Duncan, broke with the rigid constraints of classical ballet forms and introduced freedom of expression into dance. In the early 20^th century, the interest in body in motion translated into researching its anatomical determinants and experimentation. A question was posed about the possibility to better rationalise human movements, so that the effort put into a given activity would be commensurate with its effects. Simultaneously, the traditional cultural and social patterns, in which the female body was squeezed at the beginning of the 20^th century, were rejected. On the one hand, this resulted in an emancipated body, serving as a tool for expressing social attitudes and rebellion; on the other hand, in an exploited body, whose fully rationalised movement translated into physical work, which was meant to result in maximized profits.

The objective of the exhibition is to confront the sculptures by Katarzyna Kobro with choreographic and dance practices of the first half of the 20^th century, building up the context for Kobro?s artistic practice. Similarly to female modernist dancers and choreographers, in her theoretical works Kobro was asking questions on the nature of movement and its spatial relations. Working with the sculpture matter, she undertook the theme of rationalisation and functionalisation of movement in daily life.

The key narrative of the exhibition is meant to give the viewers  ? via a number of archive films and photographs  ? an insight into dance and choreography experiments. Yet, the exposition is not only of archive nature: its layout was arranged in cooperation with an opera and dramatic theatre stage designer, Karolina Fandrejewska. Instead of architecture, she proposes the scenography creatively appropriated from the archive material meant to serve as an inspiration for performative activities by artists, such as Tomasz Bazan, Marysia Zimpel, Noa Eshkol Chamber Dance Group, Noa Shadur.

The exhibition will open on Friday, 18 November at 6 pm. Admission to the exhibition is free. The Exhibition will close on 12 February 2017.

Within the exhibition?s framework the conference entitled “How does the body think? Corporeal and movement based practices of modernism” will be organised at ms² (Ogrodowa 19) on the 3^rd  and 4^th  of December 2016 in cooperation with the Department of Theatre and Drama of the Faculty of Philology of the University of Łódź; it is curated by Professor Małgorzata Leyko and Katarzyna Słoboda. A book that will sum up the conference and the exhibition is planned to be published in 2017.

Artists: Akarova, Tomasz Bazan, Busby Berkeley, Fred Boissonnas, Giannina Censi, Chamber Dance Group, Rosalia Chladek, Émil-Jaques Dalcroze, Sonia Delaunay, Jane Dudley, Isadora Duncan, Noa Eshkol, Karolina Fandrejewska, Lo?e Fuller, Martha Graham, Kurt Jooss, Katarzyna Kobro, Zygmunt Krauze, Rudolf Laban, Wsiewołod Meyerhold, The New Dance Group, Gret Palucca, Leni Riefenstahl, Józef Robakowski, Valentine de Saint-Point, Oskar Schlemmer, Edith Segal, Noa Shadur, Vera Skoronel, Władysław Strzemiński, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Helen Tamiris, Jean Weidt, Mary Wigman, Maria Zimpel.

Curator: Katarzyna Słoboda
Scenographer: Karolina Fandrejewska
Coordinator: Monika Wesołowska
Cooperation: Katarzyna Mróz

EVENTS WITHIN THE EXHIBITION PROGRAMME

18 November 2016 ms? at 6 pm (Friday)

Tomasz Bazan?s performance as part of the exhibition opening

19 November 2016 ms? (Saturday)

11:11 am ?  Eurhythmics workshop for children aged 6 to 10 years; conducted by Marta Kula. Registration required at: 605 060 063 (Mon ? Fri, 8 am ? 4 pm)

1:13 pm ?  Eurhythmics workshop for children aged 3 to 6 years, conducted by Marta Kula. Registration required at: 605 060 063 (Mon ? Fri, 8 am ? 4 pm)

5 pm ?  Curator?s and scenographer?s guided tour of the exhibition

3 ? 4 December2016 ms?, Ogrodowa 19 (Saturday ? Sunday)

International research conference How Does the Body Think? Corporeal and Movement-Based Practices of Modernism, in cooperation with the Department of Drama and Theatre of the Faculty of Philology of the University of Łódź.

11 December 2016 ms? (Sunday)

Maria Zimpel, What do you really miss? /solo (performance in the exhibition space)

(detailed schedule will be posted later)

28 January 2017 ms?, 5 pm (Saturday)

Performance by the Noa Eshkol Chamber Dance Group in the exhibition space

29 January 2017 ms? (Sunday)

11 am ?  Noa Eshkol Chamber Dance Group ? workshop for adults, registration at: k.sloboda@msl.org.pl

5 pm ?  Curator?s guided tour of the exhibition

2 February 2017 ms?, Ogrodowa 19, 6 pm (Thursday)

Lecture by Małgorzata Jędrzejczyk on Katarzyna Kobro?s work

9 February 2017 ms?, 3:15 pm (Thursday)

Eurhythmics workshop for seniors, conducted by Marta Kula. Registration required at: 605 060 063 (Mon ? Fri, 8 am ? 4 pm)

11 February 2017 ms? (Saturday)

11:11 am ?  Eurhythmics workshop for children aged 6 to 10 years; conducted by Marta Kula. Registration required at: 605 060 063 (Mon ? Fri, 8 am ? 4 pm)

1:13 pm ?  Eurhythmics workshop for children aged 3 to 6 years; conducted by Marta Kula. Registration required at: 605 060 063 (Mon ? Fri, 8 am ? 4 pm)

5 pm ?  Curator?s and exhibition designer?s guided tour of the exhibition

12 February 2017 ms? (Sunday)

Noa Shadur Entropy (performance in the exhibition space)

(the detailed schedule will be posted later)

The kind sponsor of the Noa Eshkol Chamber Dance Group?s arrival to Poland is Mifal Hapais.

Museum Website: http://msl.org.pl/