The Museum of Art in Lodz has responded to the restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Although it is now possible to go to the museum in person, all who wish to do so are invited to use its virtual collections. ms1 has launched a collection titled "Work = Documentation of Imagination" showing artists' works in response to the temporary closure.
The online collection "Work = Documentation of Imagination" is composed of works by an international group of artists. In the search for current solutions, we turn to the past, drawing inspiration from neo-avant-garde art practices.
After almost 30 years, László Beke's work and his motto have taken on a new meaning
© press materials of the Museum of Art in Lodz
The collection refers to the action of Hungarian art historian László Beke, who in 1971 sent letters to a group of artist friends inviting them to respond to the motto "Work = Documentation of the Imagination." The collection of responses received became an important element in the development of Central European conceptual art, as well as evidence of an informal network of relationships. In the face of the current crisis, we have entered into a dialogue with this historic gesture, asking a group of artists working with the Museum to send a response to the same slogan.
limits of creative work
The current communication constraints have updated the artistic methods developed before globalization, and after almost 30 years, László Beke's action and motto have taken on a new meaning. Today, they can point not only to the limits of creative work, but also to the problem of many artists facing the impossibility of their profession.
It is not without reason that this gesture is taken up precisely by the Museum of Art - an institution from the very beginning based on transnational solidarity and cooperation of female and male artists
© press materials of the Museum of Art in Lodz
Growing over time, the collection of works-filessent from different latitudes is an archive of imagination and a manifesto of solidarity across national borders, especially needed in the context of their closure and the threat of political isolationism. It is not without reason that this gesture is undertaken precisely by the Museum of Art - an institution based from the very beginning on transnational solidarity and cooperation between artists.
The works will be published on the dedicated blog Documentation of Imagination and through the social media of the Museum of Art in Lodz. Once the collection is assembled, they will also be made available to the public at the Art Museum's headquarters.
