The Polish avant-garde artist Przemysław Kwiek, who constantly tested the boundaries of art with his work, passed away in late November. He studied sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw between 1963 and 1970, and was taught by the visionary architect, sculptor and pedagogue Oskar Hansen.
Kwiek did most of his major work in collaboration with Zofia Kulik in the KwieKulik art duo, together between 1971 and 1987. Their joint projects included performances, photography, film, and installations, and were characterized by an experimental approach that aimed to link art and everyday life. Kwiek saw numerous exhibitions of both his solo and KwieKulik works in Poland and abroad, with this oeuvre having had a significant impact on the discourse on Eastern European avant-garde and contemporary art.
The work of the KwieKulik duo has been presented at the Moderna galerija several times, first at the Body and the East exhibition in 1998, and later as part of the Arteast 2000+ collection, which includes the duo’s iconic work, a 1978 performance entitled Activities with the Head.
This same performance was re-enacted yesterday by Dante Buu together with his co-performer Tatiana Kocmur at the Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova as part of a series of performances entitled Three Hearts and Five Vipers.
