Tender attention – tender exhibition

Seldom do we see an exhibition devoted to the memory of an art curator - it is usually a privilege reserved for the artists. Muzeum Sztuki in Lodz and Fotofestiwal decided to break this convention and create an exhibition entitled „Tender attention. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography”. 

Urszula Czartoryska (1934-1998) was first and foremost an art critic and theorist. She was interested in all the aspects of photography - not only those aestheticised and experimental, but the quotidian ones as well - family photos and utilitarian photography - advertising and documentary. The photography collection of Museum Sztuki reflects this open mindset, and so are the works displayed at this exhibition. Around 150 works on display have been divided into loose categories:

Photography Contested, 

Reshaping Images of Reality, 

Private, Super-private, Anti-Private

Points of Contact with the World

Anton Stankowski
"On Lake Zurich", 1930
collection of Muzeum Sztuki

Teresa Gierzyńska
“Calm” from the series “About her”, 1980
collection of Muzeum Sztuki

Unknown author
“Kazimierz Malewicz, lying in bed”, 1934-35
collection of Muzeum Sztuki

Zbigniew Dłubak
“Kids dream of birds”, 1948
collection of Muzeum Sztuki

Paweł Kwiek
“Video and breath. The channel of information”, 1978/2016
collection of Muzeum Sztuki

Eugeniusz Haneman
In a trophy truck”, 1944/1980
collection of Muzeum Sztuki

Aleksander Krzywobłocki
“Portrait of Mrs. Adler (on the couch)”, 1932
collection of Muzeum Sztuki

The title of the exhibition and category names have been borrowed from Czartoryska’s writings. As the curators explain in the exhibition catalogue: „Tender attention is an empathic attitude towards the world. One that points to an insightfulness that the photographer may observe reality with, and a respect that he or she has for their subject.” (M.Franecka, M.Szymańska, „Tender Attenniton. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography”, 2021)

Such definition brings to mind the Nobel Prize acceptance speech of Olga Tokarczuk, nota bene starting with a reference to a photo from a private album. Both cultural texts - the exhibition and the speech - have more in common than they appear to have at first glance.

Jindřich Štreit
“Untitled”, ca. 1980
collection of Muzeum Sztuki

Julia Pirotte
“Farewell, station in Lille”, ca. 1945
collection of Muzeum Sztuki

Eva Rubinstein
“Girl on Train”, 1969
collection of Muzeum Sztuki

Bogdan Dziworski
“Untitled (Chasing children)”
collection of Muzeum Sztuki

Jan Głogowski
“Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz”, ca. 1931
collection of Muzeum Sztuki

Julian Mioduszewski
“At the fence”, 1928
collection of Muzeum Sztuki

The exhibition is not officially a part of the 90th anniversary of Muzeum Sztuki, but the association is inevitable when the institution starts to focus on its own history - especially when it is inextricably linked to the history of photography in Poland, as Czartoryska not only shaped the museum’s collection but also through her writings influenced art critics as well as artists themselves.

Polish photography would not be the same without her.

Curator Maria Franecka (Muzeum Sztuki)
Tender Attention. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography - opening
Foto: HaWa
Curator Marta Szymańska (Fotofestiwal)
Tender Attention. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography - opening
Foto: HaWa
Tender Attention. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography - opening
Foto: HaWa
 
 
 
Jaroslaw Suchan - Muzeum Sztuki Director
Tender Attention. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography - opening
Foto: HaWa
Krzysztof Candrowicz - Fotofestiwal Director
Tender Attention. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography - opening
Foto: HaWa
Tender Attention. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography - opening
Foto: HaWa
Tender Attention. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography - opening
Foto: HaWa
Tender Attention. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography - opening
Foto: HaWa
Tender Attention. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography - opening
Foto: HaWa
Tender Attention. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography - opening
Foto: HaWa
Tender Attention. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography - opening
Foto: HaWa
Tender Attention. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography - opening
Foto: HaWa

The exhibition includes among others works of: Jan Bułhak, Christian Boltansky ,Janusz Maria Brzeski, Zbigniew Dłubak,  Jalu Kurek, Natalia Lach-Lachowicz, Roman Opałka, Ewa Partum, Józef Robakowski, Eva Rubinstein, Zofia Rydet, Jindřich Štreit, Antanas Sutkus, Stefan Themerson,Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz. Some of the photographs are anonymous. 

***

Tender attention. Urszula Czartoryska and Photography 

Muzeum Sztuki

ul .Ogrodowa 19

91-071 Łódź

Exhibition: 28.05.2021- 05.09.2021

Tender attention opening
Fot. HaWa
Tender attention opening
Fot. HaWa