Forscholars

Creating a new programme of residencies focusing first and foremost on the academic aspect is a response to the needs of people engaged in studies of contemporary sculpture. The programme entails a month-long study visits at the Centre of Polish Sculpture, during which the participants will receive support of scholars and art historians collaborating with the institution as well as comprehensive substantive assistance. The residents conducting their research may use the rich collection of archival materials and digital documents. The Documentation Department gathers information about artists dealing with widely-understood sculpture and spatial activities. The participants may also use the resources of the CRP library which, next to publications on art, humanities and related areas, also has documents on social life. Books, magazines, catalogues of solo and group exhibitions constitute the main part of its resources, and the oldest publications we have date back to the 1880s.The description of the programme and way of application is included in the pdf.

The Centre of Polish Sculpture is a forum providing space for meetings of scholars, art critics, artists, organizers of cultural events and managers of the public space. From 1986 to 1989 Orońsko held conferences devoted to technological issues related to sculpture. After 1989 several dozen conferences and seminars were organized devoted to theoretical problems of contemporary sculpture, philosophical and aesthetic premises, interpretation of artistic phenomena and tendencies, analyses of the place of sculpture in contemporary life. Orońsko has also become a meeting place for the young critique. From 2016 to 2019 this theoretical reflection was continued in the cycle of international conferences ‘Sculpture Today’, following which the CRP has published four volumes of post-conference materials.

For over forty years the Centre of Polish Sculpture has been building a representative sculpture collection, particularly emphasizing the works created in the second half of the 20th century and nowadays. The collection is a presentation of artistic oeuvre encompassing works in rich ideological, formal and material diversity. It serves academic studies, promotion of culture and art as well as education. Today, the collection containing sculptures, objects and installations has over 1,500 works. Most of them are postwar artworks, but there are also exhibits from the 1st half of the 20th century – made by Konstanty Laszczka, August Zamoyski or Katarzyna Kobro. The latest history of Polish sculpture is represented by works of prominent artists of older or middle generation. Objects created in recent years constitute a significant part of the collection. These are first of all works made by young generation artists during the Young Triennial in Orońsko, where they had a chance to make their artistic debut. We acquire works for our collection by casting, donations, deposits and purchases. Thanks to the funding of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage we have bought sculptures by Magdalena Abakanowicz, Jerzy Jarnuszkiewicz, Tony Cragg and others. The Orońsko collection is presented in exhibitions in Poland and abroad.

From 6 June to 30 August 2020 the Museum of Contemporary Sculpture was presenting the exhibition titled #wystawainterwencyjna2020 [#interventionexhibition2020]. It was a selection of sculptures from the collection of the Centre of Polish Sculpture chosen in the special circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. It contained works of over 30 artists, both representatives of older generation (Konstanty Laszczka) and the younger one (Urszula Pieregończuk). The exhibition facilitated reflections on many issues relevant nowadays, allowing to look critically at history, at the dramas happening around us but also at the beauty of nature. The works of renowned artists addressed significant topics, promoting universal, humanistic values we wanted to remind with this show.

Building your artistic career is an extremely difficult task particularly for young artists who are students or graduates of art academies. Despite formulating many attractive concepts, many artists cannot find a place interested in permanent presentation of their work. In order to enable both young people and already recognized artists to show their works we have created a website which publishes the portfolios of artists working in the field of sculpture, spatial activities and site-specific art. It is not only a place which shows artworks online, but with time also a unique platform in Poland enabling scholars to get acquainted with various concepts and artistic practices present in contemporary sculpture.

The library of the Centre of Polish Sculpture gathers publications from the area of art, humanities and documents of social life connected with the statute activity of the institution. Out holdings also contain publications discussing the life and work of Józef Brandt (1841–1915), his relations with Orońsko, the history and artistic traditions of this place. Books, magazines, catalogues of solo and group exhibitions make the main part of the library resources. The collection is a result of purchases, exchange or donations. Our oldest publications go back to the 1880s. The library cooperates with other libraries, institutions of culture, Polish and foreign galleries. Readers may use our resources according to the principles set out in the Terms of use.

According to the statute, the Centre of Polish Sculpture is obliged to ‘gather documentation of Polish sculpture’. Now the Documentation Department follows artists’ creative activities using the classical method, relying on searching and storing press information, catalogues, invitations, photographs, personal objects, letters, etc in files and folders as well as using electronic method in the Q-Muzeum programme. All information appearing on the Internet is archived in an electronic form. The interest of the CRP extends to about 6,000 artists.

The Centre of Polish Sculpture has at its disposal rich documentary resources – iconographic, audiovisual and sound materials – produced or acquired during the institution’s long-standing activity. What is particularly interesting for researchers is a set of almost 20,000 negatives documenting the CRP activity in the 1980s, digitalized in 2020. The photographs are now being identified. We heartily welcome all information, suggestions and speculations related to the situations presented in the photographs. You can share them by writing to the address: dokumentacja@rzezba-oronsko.pl.