Multiplying the spirit of culture of Łódź – five times Kobro

Barbara Wycichowska

doi:10.5277/arc120214

Abstract

Łódź at the stage of creating a concept of the 20th century modern and cultural city within the framework of revitalisation focused on marking the presence of popular figures from the world of culture and art in the public spaces in a permanent way. A person who was particularly distinguished in the design concepts after many years of silence was Katarzyna Kobro – a remarkable sculptor who along with her husband Władysław Strzemiński created a unique collection of international avant-garde which was the only one in Poland. Due to their involvement in 1931 in Łódź the first exhibition of avant-garde art was opened and the city of Łódź started to be perceived as a European city of art.     In fact the city revelled in Kobro in the 21st century, for example, noted and admired works of Kobro which were always collected in the Museum of Art in Więckowskiego Street were transferred to the Museum of Art ms2 in Manufaktura, whereas the marketplace in a new city centre as well as the park near the Fine Art Academy are to be named after the artist; already the main avenue in Jan Kiliński Park was named in memorial of the artist. A question emerges: is this the right way to build a city of culture?