Description
"Gustav Meztger / The Retrospective" is the first exhibition to span the entire creative career of the artist Gustav Meztger. Apart from being one of today's most acknowledged artists, Gustav Metzger also represents the diaspora of the Polish Jewry and the tragedy of the Holocaust where many of the artist's closest relatives succumbed. For this reason it is highly relevant to make his work accessible for Polish audience, in particular for an audience outside the capital cities to experience at first hand art of great importance in our time. The project is to include extensive research, the reproduction of works, one conference, lectures, local workshops, an ambitious book covering the entire oeuvre of Gustav Meztger and exhibitions, which will be held in CoCA Torun and in Kunsthall Oslo. The target groups of this project are students, local communities and tourists. Collaboration between the partners enhances the competency of those two institutions and widens their network, places them in the positions among the leading European art institutions due to their work with an artist with the international acclaim that Gustav Metzger enjoys.
Summary of project results
The uniqueness of the project lies in the choice of Metzger himself, as his artistic achievements were developed in the traumatic conditions of Poland and Europe in the 20th century, which is significant for both Polish and Norwegian audience. Although Gustav Metzger creative activity has, for over fifty years, attracted attention due to his fervent engagement in the fields of politics, ecology and civil rights, his artistic career hadn’t been summarized within one exhibitive project. The project aim was to summarize the life-time achievement of Gustav Metzger by organizing the first full retrospective of the artist's work and to engage the Polish and Norwegian audience to help them understand Metzger’s work, and it’s connection not only with important directions in contemporary art, but also a modern history of the world. The project consisted of research phase done by curators and team of advisors who work in close contact with artist, reproduction of works and production of the exhibition itself in two locations: in Poland (CoCA Torun) and in Norway (Kunsthall Oslo and Kunstnernes Hus), developing and implementing educational program, including workshops, seminar, guiding tours in Torun and in Oslo and production of ambitious publication covering the entire oeuvre of Metzger to be promoted and distributed internationally. The effect of the project was achieved by reaching a wide audience through various range of cultural activities. The exhibitions and accompanying events in Torun and Oslo attracted the attention of 11.706 people. CoCa in Torun together with Kunsthall Oslo and Kunstnernes Hus organized 78 educational events, plus 2 seminars dedicated to Metzger’s work. The project also developed the international network of professionals by engaging 38 experts and specialist. The collaboration between CoCA and Norwegian institutions helped to extent the results of the project and provided its international influence. The project through its wide range of cultural activities advanced the knowledge and cultural competence of all groups of audience and engaged local communities in both venues.
Summary of bilateral results
The institutions that were involved in the project are: Centre of Contemporary Art “Znaki Czasu” in Torun as a Leader of the Project, Kunsthall Oslo as a Project Partner, and Kusntnernes Hus which joined the project as a contractor. Each institution presented the exhibition and organized accompanying events such as workshops, guiding tours etc. The current artistic debate took place in both locations, where the seminars with international guests took place. The project was based on the collaboration of two institutions and their teams, as the realization of all phases was shared in the majority of points. CoCA Torun, as Project Promoter, was responsible for contracting and shared coordination of the team of scholars/researchers whose work guaranteed the scientific excellence of the exhibition and additional events/publications. Two curators – Dobrila Denegri and Pontus Kyander collaboratively worked together with the artist, Gustav Metzger, on the final outline of the exhibitions and performance. CoCA Torun hosted the first set of events, therefore it was in charge for the production of the works and other materials to be displayed, loans of the works, as well as launching the media campaign and promotional activities of the project. Besides its own exhibition, additional events and their promotion, CoCA was responsible for the production of the catalogue, and Kunsthall Oslo for the restitution of the works to the owners and lenders. Both institutions organized public events, including seminars, as well as additional educational activities such as workshops and guided tours. Kunstnernes Hus was engaged in the project as a contractor, therefore it was also responsible for organizing the exhibition and educational activities. The Partners of the project not only shared knowledge and professional expertise through over two-year-long project, but they also expanded their range of institutional relations, through involvement of experts (curators, researchers, museum directors) and studio of Gustav Metzger itself. As there are further plans for the Gustav Metzger exhibition to be presented in Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León (MUSAC) in Spain, COCA together with the Project Partner will have an opportunity to share the knowledge and experience gained in the project, which will widen the international influence of the project.