Boris Lurie's Holocaust-Informed Pop Art Retrospective at Kraków's Museum of Contemporary Art
From 26 October to 3 February, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Kraków showcases a retrospective of multimedia artist Boris Lurie, who passed away in 2008. A Holocaust survivor, Lurie was deported from Riga in 1941 and created a unique visual language characterized by symbols such as swastikas and pinup girls. He was a co-founder of the NO!art movement, which challenged conventional Pop art. The exhibition includes 51 multimedia pieces, prominently featuring the word 'NO'. Among the highlights is a striking installation of serrated knives arranged in a yellow star, alongside seven collages that deteriorate over time using imagery from 1960s advertisements. Curators offer limited interpretation, encouraging direct engagement with Lurie's iconography.
Key facts
- Boris Lurie died in 2008
- Lurie was deported from Riga in 1941 at age sixteen
- He was imprisoned in Stutthof and Buchenwald concentration camps until 1945
- The exhibition runs from 26 October to 3 February
- The show includes 51 multimedia works featuring the word 'NO'
- Lurie co-founded the NO!art movement with Sam Goodman and Stanley Fisher
- A central installation features serrated knives in cracked concrete within a yellow star
- Curators provide minimal wall text, with only a brief biography at the entrance
Entities
Artists
- Boris Lurie
- Sam Goodman
- Stanley Fisher
- Theodor Adorno
Institutions
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Kraków
- ArtReview
Locations
- Kraków
- Poland
- Riga
- Latvia
- Stutthof
- Buchenwald