THE 1982 CULTURAL EXCHANGE BETWEEN ŁÓDŹ AND LOS ANGELES

Discover the fascinating story of the Polish-American cultural exchange that took place in 1982. The publication "The 1982 Cultural Exchange Between Łódź and Los Angeles" is a unique journey through time, showing the behind-the-scenes of artistic cooperation between Poland and the United States in difficult times.

• Honoring 50 artists who donated their works to foreign museums.
• Initiative of Warsaw artists who wanted to establish contact with colleagues abroad.
• Cooperation with the Museum of Art in Łódź, which played a key role in the exchange.
• Donations to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (MOCA) and enrichment of the collection of the Museum of Art in Łódź.
• Symposium with outstanding scholars analyzing the geopolitical context of the project.
• New texts developing the context of the 1982 project.
• Examination of sub-collections of the most important art museums in Łódź and Los Angeles.

This publication is the result of meetings and research that took place at the Museum of Art in Łódź in 2022, thanks to financial support from the US Embassy in Warsaw. Barbara Kasten also joined the project, and outstanding scholars such as Dr. Christian Berger, Dr. Małgorzata Jędrzejczyk, Prof. Michael Leja, Prof. Filip Lipiński, Dr. Paweł Polit, Prof. Agnieszka Rejniak-Majewska and Dr. Wojciech Szymański gave lectures and discussions. Their edited and refined articles are included in the section devoted to the practices of Polish and American artists, described from the perspective of their disciplines.

This book is not only a collection of articles and analyses, but above all a tribute to artists who, in difficult times, were able to establish a dialogue across political divisions. It is a story about the power of art, which can connect people and cultures, even in the most unfavorable circumstances. This publication is also a response to the need to examine the two sub-collections of the most important art museums in Łódź and Los Angeles, which required direct contact with artists, archival research and a platform for discussing the broader contexts of these collections.

The Polish-American exchange was an initiative of a group of Warsaw artists who wanted to establish contact with their colleagues abroad. The art scene in the Soviet satellite country had its limitations, but there were still exceptional people and institutions that played a very important role. One of them was the Museum of Art in Łódź, which under the leadership of Ryszard Stanisławski became a center of cultural and artistic exchange. This museum, dating back to the 1920s, was intertwined with the biographies of the most interesting post-war artists and led to significant art donations.

This 448-page publication is not only a valuable source of knowledge about the Polish-American cultural exchange, but also a beautiful album presenting the works of art that were created as a result of this cooperation. It is a must-read for all lovers of art, history and culture who want to explore the secrets of Polish-American artistic relations. This book is also a perfect gift for people interested in contemporary art and the history of Poland.

change entre artistes 19311982, Pologne-USA: the Polish-American Artistic Exchange as part of the Inspiring Culture Program, implemented in cooperation with The Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles and in cooperation with the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles. Co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage under the Inspiring Culture program. Edition: Pages: 448, Format: 301x224 mm Year: Year of publication: 2024, binding: paperback Publisher: Muzeum Sztuki w Łodzi Number of pages: 448 Binding: paperback Format: 301x224 mmCARUNO-2025-12-06-08:29:00 cu