Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź
The institution's main areas are: Modern and Contemporary Art.
About Muzeum Sztuki
Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź is one of the oldest museums of modern art in the world. The Museum’s connections with the avant-garde date back to the turn of the 1920s and 1930s, when a group of radical artists from the “a.r.” group began gathering works of the most important artists of the day for the Museum. The action met with great interest of European avant-garde, making many outstanding artists, such as Fernand Leger, Max Ernst, Hans Arp and Kurt Schwitters to donate their works to the collection. The fact made the collection of the “a.r.” group a unique symbol of solidarity and cooperation of the avant-garde. The International Modern Art. Collection of the “a.r.” group, representing the main directions of art. such as Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism, Purism, Neoplasticism and Surrealism was open to public on 15th February 1931. The collection has since been consistently expanded by including international modern and contemporary artworks. Due to this fact Muzeum Sztuki is now the only museum in Poland with such extensive collection of world art of the 20th and 21st century.
The primary value of the collection, for the most part experimental, is its attitude of constant openness to contemporary times, which are a derivative of the tradition of the past. This tradition is also the source of the idea to ignore boundaries between different art domains, an idea to integrate all forms of art into one “living” art organism.
The heart of the collection, setting its historical and aesthetic roots, is the International Collection of Modern Art of the “a.r.” group. It is a phenomenon on a global scale as it was initiated and called to life by the artists themselves; it assumed its shape as a result of solidary effort to act above and against boundaries.
The mission of the Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź consists in providing an appropriate environment for contemporary audiences to interact with the heritage of past and present generations of artists, which can inspire them to develop the ability to independently see, understand and experience the world around them. The Muzeum promotes art as a valid component of social life, which makes our human existence more complete and valuable. It pursues its mission goal by collecting, preserving and studying works of art, as well as by organizing artistic events and supporting and advancing research, education and promotion of art at all levels. Having regard to the close link between the history of the Muzeum and the history of the avant-garde, it focuses its activities particularly on the promotion of progressive artistic practices and collaboration with their authors.
Connect with the Director, Curatorial, and Collection staff by browsing CIMAM’s Membership Directory in the Members Only section.