MOCAK Collection Debuts at MAXXI in Rome

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow (MOCAK), Poland's first contemporary art museum, presents its collection at MAXXI in Rome as part of the 'Expanding the Horizon' project curated by Hou Hanru. Founded in 2011 and designed by Claudio Nardi Architects of Florence, MOCAK is located on the site of Oskar Schindler's former factory, a symbolic WWII location. Director Maria Anna Potocka, a key figure in Polish art since the 1970s, selected works from the museum's 4,557-piece collection by 235 artists from 32 countries, including Paweł Althamer, Krzysztof M. Bednarski, Wilhelm Sasnal, Sarah Lucas, and Daniel Spoerri. The exhibition, titled 'L'Arte Differente: MOCAK al MAXXI,' runs until January 22, 2017, and avoids chronological or thematic order, though conceptual art is strongly represented. Potocka emphasized the museum's role in presenting avant-garde post-war art with a focus on Eastern European artists, its educational programs, and its publishing house. MOCAK hosts about 15 exhibitions annually, including the series 'The World Through Art' covering topics like history, economics, sports, crime, gender, and medicine. The museum attracts 100,000 visitors yearly, up from 40,000 in 2011. Potocka noted Poland's relatively greater cultural freedom under Soviet rule compared to other Eastern Bloc countries, and highlighted the museum's commitment to making contemporary art accessible to general audiences.