Elżbieta Tejchman's 1965 Photographic Series Documents Poland's First Biennale of Spatial Forms in Elbląg
In 1965, Elżbieta Tejchman captured the First Biennale of Spatial Forms in Elbląg, Poland, through her photography, which highlighted avant-garde sculptures set against a backdrop of war-torn scenery. Organized by Gerard Kwiatkowski from Gallery El and supported by Zamech Mechanical Works, the event showcased around forty Polish artists, such as Zbigniew Dłubak, Edward Krasiński, and Henryk Stażewski. Their 'spatial forms,' crafted from industrial metal remnants, are still located in Elbląg. Tejchman, affiliated with Warsaw's Institute for the Organization and Mechanization of the Building Industry, documented these sculptures throughout various seasons, emphasizing their spatial dynamics. Her work, inspired by figures like Katarzyna Kobro, Władysław Strzemiński, and Oskar Hansen, was displayed in 1978 at Warsaw's Mała Gallery under the title 'Panoramy.'
Key facts
- Elżbieta Tejchman photographed the First Biennale of Spatial Forms in Elbląg, Poland in 1965
- The biennale featured around forty Polish avant-garde artists including Zbigniew Dłubak and Henryk Stażewski
- Gerard Kwiatkowski initiated the event through Gallery El with support from Zamech Mechanical Works
- Sculptures were made from metal scraps and remain installed in Elbląg
- Tejchman used serialized 'panorama' photographs to capture optical illusions and spatial relationships
- Her work was influenced by Katarzyna Kobro and Władysław Strzemiński's theory of spatial unity
- The photographs show deserted landscapes highlighting Elbląg's post-war reconstruction and socialist work rhythms
- Tejchman exhibited the series at Warsaw's Mała Gallery in 1978
Entities
Artists
- Elżbieta Tejchman
- Walter Benjamin
- Eugene Atget
- Gerard Kwiatkowski
- Zbigniew Dłubak
- Edward Krasiński
- Henryk Stażewski
- Alexander Rodchenko
- Karl Ioganson
- Konstantin Konstantinovich Medunetskii
- Georgii Stenberg
- Vladimir Stenberg
- Katarzyna Kobro
- Władysław Strzemiński
- Oskar Hansen
- Jerzy Jarnuszkiewicz
- Zbigniew Gostomski
- Antoni Starczewski
- Stanisław Sikora
- Sylwia Serafinowicz
Institutions
- ARTMargins Online
- Harvard University Press
- Life magazine
- Gallery El
- Zamech Mechanical Works
- Central Agency of Photography (CAF)
- Institute for the Organization and Mechanization of the Building Industry (JOMB)
- Polish Association of Photographers
- Fotografia magazine
- Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
- Museum of Painterly Culture (MZhK)
- University of California Press
- Mała Gallery
- Open Gallery
- Courtauld Institute of Art
- Artforum magazine
- Ph: The Postgraduate Photography Research Network
Locations
- Elbląg
- Poland
- London
- United Kingdom
- Warsaw
- Pomeranian district
- Prussian
- Polish People's Republic
- Russia
- Berkeley
- Los Angeles
- California
- Łódź
- Finland
- Jerozolimskie Avenue
- Świnica
- Tatra Mountains
- Slovak