The concept of “the American Dream” has been a source of inspiration for many artists who have interpreted the idea in various ways. This summer, till 4th October, we will have a chance to see its different artistic faces during an exhibition entitled “the American Dream” organized in the main building of the National Museum. The exposition will refer to the artistic works of people connected with the culture of 1960’s and 1970’s, so the times when America was a Promised Land for many Polish people who wanted to escape from the communist reality they lived in.
At the time, the USA symbolized not only the economic freedom but also the artistic one. However, from 1950’s – 1970’s, it was difficult in Poland to systematically keep up with the works of the artists belonging to the contestation groups. The authors of the exhibition started their deliberations on the overseas art with the book by Aldona Jawłowska from 1957 entitled Drogi kontrkultury (the Ways of Counterculture), which was one of the very few publications devoted to that topic.
The exposition itself constitutes a sort of artistic experiment. It consists of large-format photographs, film shows, installations – and all these components are accompanied by a soundtrack which was specialty composed for that occasion. It is worth mentioning that the exhibition was opened on the day of the 90th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Poland and the USA. What is more, its co-curator is Louis K. Meisel, a collector from New York who also is a father of the American photorealism. Owing to his efforts we can see in Krakow the works of the most import artists such as Ralph Goings, Richard Estes, Robert Cottingham and Robert Bechtle, which have never been shown in Poland before.