Sounding the Body Electric Exhibition Reconstructs Eastern European Art-Music Experiments
Between May 25 and August 19, 2012, the Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź presented "Sounding the Body Electric: Experiments in Art and Music in Eastern Europe, 1957–1984," under the curation of David Crowley and Daniel Muzyczuk. This exhibition showcased a variety of graphic scores, films, installations, and documentation from Eastern Europe, beginning with the Experimental Studio of Polish Radio, established in 1957 by Józef Patkowski. Notable reconstructions featured included the 1968 Spatial-Musical Composition by Teresa Kelm, Zygmunt Krauze, and Henryk Morel, as well as Krzysztof Wodiczko and Szabolcs Esztényi's 1969 Just Transistor Radios. The event emphasized the development of experimental music within its political backdrop, highlighting works from Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union.
Key facts
- Exhibition ran from May 25 to August 19, 2012 at Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź
- Focused on art and music experiments in Eastern Europe from 1957 to 1984
- Featured reconstructions of Spatial-Musical Composition (1968) and Just Transistor Radios (1969)
- Experimental Studio of Polish Radio, founded in 1957 by Józef Patkowski, was a key incubator
- Bółt Records recently issued recordings from the Experimental Studio
- Works included from Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union
- Curators involved original artists in reconstructions, facing challenges of historical context
- Graphic scores and state investment in technology were discussed as central themes
Entities
Artists
- Daniel Muzyczuk
- David Crowley
- Michał Libera
- Marcel Knyżewski
- Józef Patkowski
- Teresa Kelm
- Zygmunt Krauze
- Henryk Morel
- Krzysztof Wodiczko
- Szabolcs Esztényi
- Vitaly Komar
- Alexander Melamid
- Włodzimierz Kotoński
- Andrzej Dobrowolski
- Eugeniusz Rudnik
- Hugh Davies
- Bohdan Mazurek
- John Tilbury
- Elżbieta Sikora
- Krzysztof Knittel
- Milo Kurtis
- Jacek Malicki
- Andrzej Kasprzyk
- Witold Popiel
- Andrzej Turczynowicz
- Paweł Freisler
- Milan Adamčiak
- John Cage
- Susan Philipsz
Institutions
- Muzeum Sztuki
- Experimental Studio of Polish Radio
- Bółt Records
- Polish Radio
- Galeria Współczesna
- Radio Łódź
- Royal College of Art
- słowo/obraz terytoria
- Populista
- Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp
- Deutsche Bank
- Venice Biennale of Architecture
- ARTMargins Online
Locations
- Łódź
- Poland
- Warsaw
- Czechoslovakia
- Hungary
- Yugoslavia
- Soviet Union
- Moscow
- Pilsen
- Brno
- Budapest
- London
- United States
- Netherlands
- West Germany