ALINA SZAPOCZNIKOW

*1926 in Kalisz (PL), died in 1973 in Praz-Coutant (FR)
The provocative and joyful potential of the sexualized and fragmented human and in particular female body, the motif of the ruin, the anti-monument applied to the body, the destruction it can be exposed to through forces of society and political regime, - this complex discourse was a life-long occupation for the sculptor. In the early 60s Szapocznikow started experimenting with polyester. She took casts of her own lips and breasts and morphed them into daily objects like lamps and ashtrays. With her sculptures and drawings Szapocznikow created a unique link between late existentialist Surrealism and Pop-Art. Exhibitions: Galeria Zacheta, Warsaw, Muzeum Naradowe, Cracow, Muzeum Sztuki, Lodz, Muzeum Narodowe Wroclaw, 1998/9  (PL); Kunsthalle Basel, Basel, 2004 (CH); Galerie Gisela Capitain (D) and BROADWAY 1602 (USA) 2007.