Robert Kuśmirowski
Encyclopedia
Robert Kuśmirowski is a Polish contemporary art
ist whose work includes sculpture
, installations
, performance
and photography
. His work uses reconstruction of historical artefacts and settings to examine and manipulate historical themes. He lives and works in Lublin
.
bus passes and postage stamp
s for his family. This has remained a consistent theme in his work.
In 2003, he rode from Paris via Luxemburg to Leipzig on a 19th-century bicycle, dressed in period garb. He documented the tour by photographing it, and processed the prints so that they seem to be original photos from the time period. He presented the photographs in an exhibition space, along with an unusable reproduction of the bicycle and his own drawings, which were yellowed in order to simulate newspaper articles on the various stages of the tour. On November 14, 2004, Kusmirowski left Lodz and walked 1500 km on foot to Paris for the opening of the group exhibition "De ma Fenêtre, des artistes et leur territoire" - of which his action was a part - on December 16.
In Double V (2005), he created a life-size replica of a 1970’s worker’s flat in Soviet-era architecture. Wagon (2006), exhibited in the 4th Berlin Biennale, was modelled with styrofoam and cardboard after train carriages used to transport detainees to Auschwitz. At the New Museum in New York, Kuśmirowski constructed Unacabine (2008), a replica of the remote cabin in Montana where Polish-American terrorist Theodore Kaczynski
conceived his mail bombing campaign against American universities, airlines and other companies. At the Barbican Centre
in 2009, he transformed a gallery into a World War II-era concrete bunker – complete with flickering lights, hand-crafted nuts and bolts, and even a working draisine.
of the old railway station. He has since had solo shows, among others, at Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum
, Eindhoven (2005), Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zürich (2006/07), and the Barbican Centre
, London (2009).
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
ist whose work includes sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, installations
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
, performance
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
and photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
. His work uses reconstruction of historical artefacts and settings to examine and manipulate historical themes. He lives and works in Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
.
Education
Kuśmirowski studied sculpture at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin including a year's scholarship at the University of Rennes 2. He graduated in 2003.Work
In his installations Kuśmirowski showcases his ability to craft replicas for illusionistic effects of decay and ageing, often bringing together found objects with elements constructed out of wood, cardboard, paint and other materials. Kuśmirowski had become interested in replication and falsification as a child when he forgedForgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
bus passes and postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s for his family. This has remained a consistent theme in his work.
In 2003, he rode from Paris via Luxemburg to Leipzig on a 19th-century bicycle, dressed in period garb. He documented the tour by photographing it, and processed the prints so that they seem to be original photos from the time period. He presented the photographs in an exhibition space, along with an unusable reproduction of the bicycle and his own drawings, which were yellowed in order to simulate newspaper articles on the various stages of the tour. On November 14, 2004, Kusmirowski left Lodz and walked 1500 km on foot to Paris for the opening of the group exhibition "De ma Fenêtre, des artistes et leur territoire" - of which his action was a part - on December 16.
In Double V (2005), he created a life-size replica of a 1970’s worker’s flat in Soviet-era architecture. Wagon (2006), exhibited in the 4th Berlin Biennale, was modelled with styrofoam and cardboard after train carriages used to transport detainees to Auschwitz. At the New Museum in New York, Kuśmirowski constructed Unacabine (2008), a replica of the remote cabin in Montana where Polish-American terrorist Theodore Kaczynski
Theodore Kaczynski
Theodore John "Ted" Kaczynski , also known as the "Unabomber" , is an American mathematician, social critic, anarcho-primitivist, and Neo-Luddite who engaged in a mail bombing campaign that spanned nearly 20 years, killing three people and injuring 23 others.Kaczynski was born in Chicago, Illinois,...
conceived his mail bombing campaign against American universities, airlines and other companies. At the Barbican Centre
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
in 2009, he transformed a gallery into a World War II-era concrete bunker – complete with flickering lights, hand-crafted nuts and bolts, and even a working draisine.
Exhibitions
Kuśmirowski had his first solo exhibition while still a student (in 2002) at the Galeria Biała in Lublin, where he constructed a replicaReplica
A replica is a copy closely resembling the original concerning its shape and appearance. An inverted replica complements the original by filling its gaps. It can be a copy used for historical purposes, such as being placed in a museum. Sometimes the original never existed. For example, Difference...
of the old railway station. He has since had solo shows, among others, at Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum
Van Abbemuseum
Van Abbemuseum is a museum of modern and contemporary art located in central Eindhoven, Netherlands, on the east bank of the Dommel river. Established in 1936, the Abbe Museum is named after its founder, Abbe Henri. Abbe was a lover of modern art and wanted to enjoy it there from Eindhoven...
, Eindhoven (2005), Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zürich (2006/07), and the Barbican Centre
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
, London (2009).
Major works
- 2006: Ornamente der Anatomie (The Ornaments of Anatomy), Kunstverein Hannover, HamburgHamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. - 2006: Wagon, 4th Berlin Biennale, BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. - 2008: Unacabine, New Museum of Contemporary ArtNew Museum of Contemporary ArtThe New Museum, founded in 1977 by Marcia Tucker, is the only museum in New York City exclusively devoted to presenting contemporary art from around the world...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. - 2009: The Collector’s Massif, Bunkier Sztuki, KrakowKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. - 2009: Bunker, Barbican CentreBarbican CentreThe Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Further reading
- Yilmaz Dziewior in cooperation with Foksal Gallery Foundation (Ed.): Robert Kusmirowski, Texte of Jens Asthoff, Sebastian Cichocki, Yilmaz Dziewior, René de Guzman, Joanna Mytkowska, Janneke de Vries u.a. ; Deutsch/English/Polnisch, 2005. 252 pages, 62 pic., ISBN 978-3-7757-1758-8
- Nowe zjawiska w sztuce polskiej po 2000, opracowanie zbiorowe, Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej Zamek Ujazdowski, Warszawa 2007