Agnieszka Brzeżańska's 'Ma Terra' exhibition reinterprets Slavic mythology through ceramics and clay works
During the Warsaw Gallery Weekend, Agnieszka Brzeżańska's exhibition titled 'Ziemia rodzinna / Ma Terra' highlighted her evolution as a sculptor and ceramicist, shifting focus from painting. The display featured Informel clay artworks, the 2014 piece 'Jawia,' photographic prints from the 'Honomeia' series, and untitled breastpots that draw on Slavic and prehistoric mythologies, especially Lusatian culture predating 1500 BC. Brzeżańska's research delves into the patriarchal and matriarchal elements of these cultures, drawing inspiration from Max Dashu's 2008 work 'Restoring Women to Cultural Memory.' The title 'Ma Terra' plays on the concept of 'matter' while ironically alluding to the 1955 propaganda album 'Ziemia rodzinna.' The exhibition offered a genuine portrayal of the motherland, with the 'Honomeia' series and mythological clay portraits being particularly noteworthy.
Key facts
- Agnieszka Brzeżańska is primarily known as a painter but showcased sculpture and ceramics in this exhibition.
- The exhibition took place during Warsaw Gallery Weekend and featured works from 2014.
- Works reference Lusatian culture, which dates earlier than 1500 BC and challenges theories of Slavic indigenous descent.
- Brzeżańska's research involves patriarchal-matriarchal aspects of prehistoric cultures and alternative archaeologies.
- The title 'Ma Terra' is a neologism that ironically references the 1955 propaganda album 'Ziemia rodzinna'.
- The exhibition included ceramic vases with female breasts, echoing ancient ceremonial pots from Lusatia.
- Brzeżańska uses fake theses and stereotypes about Slavic history from scholars over the last two centuries.
- The show combined clay paintings, drawings, photographic prints, and sculptures exploring Slavic mythology.
Entities
Artists
- Agnieszka Brzeżańska
- Max Dashu
- Tadeusz Kubiak
- Artur Miedzyrzecki
- Edward Hartwig
- Antoni Słonimski
- Leopold Staff
- Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński
- Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz
- Władysław Broniewski
Institutions
- Warsaw Gallery Weekend
- Suppressed Histories Archives
Locations
- Warsaw
- Poland
- Lusatia