Małgorzata Mirga-Tas's Textile Installation Re-enchants the Polish Pavilion at the 2022 Venice Biennale
In 2022, Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, a Polish-Romani artist from Zakopane, showcased her work 'Re-enchanting the World' at the Polish Pavilion during the 59th International Art Exhibition in Venice. This exhibition, curated by Wojciech Szymański and Joanna Warsza, marked the first time a Romani artist was featured in a national pavilion, selected through a competition held by Zachęta – National Gallery of Art in Warsaw. The textile installation consists of twelve panels influenced by 15th-century frescoes and utilizes recycled materials. Additionally, the pavilion’s exterior draws inspiration from the Wheel of Fortune card of the Visconti-Sforza Tarot. Mirga-Tas's art confronts stereotypes surrounding the Romani community and promotes empowerment, resonating with the Biennale's theme, 'The Milk of Dreams,' curated by Cecilia Alemani.
Key facts
- Małgorzata Mirga-Tas is a Polish-Romani artist born in 1978 in Zakopane, Poland.
- Her installation 'Re-enchanting the World' was featured at the Polish Pavilion during the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022.
- Curators Wojciech Szymański and Joanna Warsza oversaw the project, selected by Zachęta – National Gallery of Art.
- This marked the first official national pavilion represented by a Romani artist at the Venice Biennale.
- The work comprises twelve textile panels structured like a zodiac calendar, inspired by Renaissance frescos in Ferrara's Palazzo Schifanoia.
- Mirga-Tas uses recycled fabrics and collaborates with craftswomen, including relatives, to produce the installation.
- The title references Silvia Federici's book 'Re-enchanting the World: Feminism and the Politics of the Commons.'
- Mirga-Tas also exhibited at documenta fifteen, making her one of two female artists featured at both that and the Biennale.
Entities
Artists
- Małgorzata Mirga-Tas
- Wojciech Szymański
- Joanna Warsza
- Saodat Ismailova
- Jacques Callot
- Aby Warburg
- Francesco del Cossa
- Silvia Federici
- Cecilia Alemani
- Leonora Carrington
- Alexandra Timonina
- Daniel Rumiancew
- Bartek Solik
- Ina Lekiewicz
Institutions
- Zachęta – National Gallery of Art
- Venice Biennale
- Palazzo Schifanoia
- Autostrada Biennale
- documenta fifteen
- Georgia Pavilion
- Arsenale
- Pinault Collection
- Ca’ Foscari University
- ARTMargins Online
- Polish Pavilion
- Roma Pavilion
- Biennale di Venezia
- Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Zacheta National Gallery of Art
- Archive Books
- ERIAC
- European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture
- VernissageTV
- YouTube
- Uncommongroundpl
- Zakopane.pl
- Irenebirnation.com
- PismoFolkowepl
- Culture.pl
- dailyartmagazine.com
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Warsaw
- Poland
- Zakopane
- Czarna Góra
- Slovakian border
- Kassel
- Germany
- Ferrara
- Kosovo
- Ukraine
- India
- China
- Western Europe
- Krakow
- Palazzo Schifanoia
- New York
- NY
- USA
- Tatra mountains