“Alina Szapocznikow / Nairy Baghramian” runs until 31 January 2027 and marks the 100th anniversary of Szapocznikow’s birth in 1926. More than 30 of her works will be shown alongside sculptures by Baghramian, born in 1971.
Curator Paweł Pyś said the idea emerged during discussions with Zachęta representatives about Szapocznikow’s centenary and the possibility of pairing her work with that of a contemporary artist.
Although the sculptors worked in different decades, both explored the human form, particularly its fragmentation, decomposition and abstraction.
Baghramian’s sculptures include objects resembling prostheses and orthodontic appliances. They shift attention towards the body as an organism that may need mechanical support and raise questions about control and how institutions shape the experience of space through the body.
The exhibition includes sculptures, drawings and photographs by Szapocznikow. Pyś said the selection challenges the tendency to interpret her work mainly through sensual representations of femininity.
The exhibition also addresses illness and the passage of time. Szapocznikow was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1969 and died in 1973, aged 47.
Both sculptors worked with malleable materials, including rubber, beeswax, polyurethane and resin. Pyś said these materials may reflect qualities associated with the human body, such as flexibility and fluidity.
More than 30 works by Szapocznikow, dating from 1959 to 1972, will be shown. Baghramian’s sculptures, created over the past decade, will occupy the same two exhibition rooms, including works made specifically for the Warsaw gallery.
This is the first presentation of Baghramian’s work in Poland. Her works are held in the collections of institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate Modern in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
(sp)
Source: PAP