Step inside Magdalena Abakanowicz’s forest of woven sculptures

This exhibition video explores the transformative period of Abakanowicz’s practice when her woven forms came off the wall and into three-dimensional space. In-depth interview with curator Ann Coxon

Directed, shot and edited by Jerome Monnot
Produced by Scott Morris for Tate
Gimbal operator Nick Street
Audio recording + mix Angel Perez Grandi
Graded by Romain Kedochim

About Magdalena Abakanowicz
There are very few artists whose oeuvre includes a distinct body of work so significant in scale and ambition; so radical in effect; and so rich in meaning that it provides fertile ground for the presentation of a large-scale but focussed exhibition enabling new perspectives on both their work and its place within broader histories of art.

Yet some fifty years after their creation, the re-examination of Magdalena Abakanowicz’s Abakans seems both necessary and urgent. Deriving their name from the artist’s own family name, the Abakans astounded and confused critics when they were first presented in Lausanne in the late 1960s and then in museums and galleries around the globe.

What exactly are these curious woven forms that seem to defy categorisation as either sculpture or tapestry; as art or craft? Much of the existing literature about Abakanowicz paints the picture of a lone pioneer, a unique figure battling against harsh personal and political circumstances to give voice and shape to a set of inner beliefs.

While this characterisation is grounded in certain truths, it limits our understanding of her significance within and contribution to twentieth century art history.

Abakanowicz made her name at the first iteration of the International Lausanne Tapestry Biennial in 1962. She was at the forefront of the New Tapestry or Fiber Art movement.

Tate modern until 21 May 2023, Monday to Sunday 10.00–18.00, Bankside, London SE1 9TG

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