‘The thought which led me to perform this work was about the rationality itself, which is the basis for the Logo blocks system, and which looked horrifying to me: you can only use these blocks to build something that a precise, rational system allows for’.
Zbigniew Libera
‘Lego. The Concentration Camp’ (1996) is the best known realization fromt Libera’s series of ‘toys’, considered to be one of the most significant works of Polish contemporary art. This is a photography cycle and a set of several boxes of different sizes, filled with the LEGO blocks, which, as suggested by the artist, one could build up a concentration camp. Due to the fact that the audience read the message of the work too literally, it generated many controversies and, consequently, wasn’t allowed to be shown as part of Polish pavilion during the Biennale in Venice in 1997. The work soon became iconic, and - in many versions - is still presented at the expositions around the world. Interestingly, ‘Lego. The Concentration Camp’ was numbered among the archives of the Jewish Museum in New York City.
In the portfolio, there are 11 photographs which show the sceneces and objects, which can be ranked according to the conception presented by Libera. The portfolio has been issued in 12 numbered copies, signed by the author.
Zbigniew Libera is one of the most interesting artists of the generation, who appeared on the national artistic scene in the 1980s (during this time he didn’t take part in official artistic activities, he worked in alternative circle of Lodz’s attic and ‘Kultura Zrzuty’; he also worked with Zofia Kulik as her model). He creates objects, installations, video realizations, he uses photography, painting and is an author of multimedia activities. The contemplation and meditation works, which were presented in the beginning of the 1990s, including the video realization of ‘Mystic perversion’ (shown at the well-known exposition ‘Mystic perversion and a rose’ in 1992 at the National Art Gallery in Soport), attracted much interest into his artistic activity. Other expositions, where he showed this kind of realizations like ‘Corrective appliances’ (individual exposition at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw), or the model of a concentration camp built from the lego blocks, brought him the status of a controversial artists, as well international renown. In 2004, at the Atlas Sztuki in Lodz, National Art Gallery in Sopot, Arsenal in Poznan, he showed the exposition of his works which used the photographic message entitled ‘Masters and positives’.
Additional Charge Details:
- In addition to the hammer price, the successful bidder agrees to pay us a buyer's premium on the hammer price of each lot sold. On all lots we charge 18 %.
- To this lot we apply 'artist's resale right' ('droit de suite') fee. Royalties are calculated using a sliding scale of percentages of the hammer price.
C-Print on photographic paper ,20 x 29,7 cm (10 photographs), 26,4 x 40 cm (1 photograph)
on the front of the folder the author's description: 'Zbigniew Libera | KZL LEGO 1996 | 10 photos 20 cm x 29,7 cm | 1 photo 26, 4 cm x 40 cm | 5/12’
edition 5/12, each photograph signed, numbered and dated
‘The thought which led me to perform this work was about the rationality itself, which is the basis for the Logo blocks system, and which looked horrifying to me: you can only use these blocks to build something that a precise, rational system allows for’.
Zbigniew Libera
‘Lego. The Concentration Camp’ (1996) is the best known realization fromt Libera’s series of ‘toys’, considered to be one of the most significant works of Polish contemporary art. This is a photography cycle and a set of several boxes of different sizes, filled with the LEGO blocks, which, as suggested by the artist, one could build up a concentration camp. Due to the fact that the audience read the message of the work too literally, it generated many controversies and, consequently, wasn’t allowed to be shown as part of Polish pavilion during the Biennale in Venice in 1997. The work soon became iconic, and - in many versions - is still presented at the expositions around the world. Interestingly, ‘Lego. The Concentration Camp’ was numbered among the archives of the Jewish Museum in New York City.
In the portfolio, there are 11 photographs which show the sceneces and objects, which can be ranked according to the conception presented by Libera. The portfolio has been issued in 12 numbered copies, signed by the author.
Zbigniew Libera is one of the most interesting artists of the generation, who appeared on the national artistic scene in the 1980s (during this time he didn’t take part in official artistic activities, he worked in alternative circle of Lodz’s attic and ‘Kultura Zrzuty’; he also worked with Zofia Kulik as her model). He creates objects, installations, video realizations, he uses photography, painting and is an author of multimedia activities. The contemplation and meditation works, which were presented in the beginning of the 1990s, including the video realization of ‘Mystic perversion’ (shown at the well-known exposition ‘Mystic perversion and a rose’ in 1992 at the National Art Gallery in Soport), attracted much interest into his artistic activity. Other expositions, where he showed this kind of realizations like ‘Corrective appliances’ (individual exposition at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw), or the model of a concentration camp built from the lego blocks, brought him the status of a controversial artists, as well international renown. In 2004, at the Atlas Sztuki in Lodz, National Art Gallery in Sopot, Arsenal in Poznan, he showed the exposition of his works which used the photographic message entitled ‘Masters and positives’.
Additional Charge Details:
- In addition to the hammer price, the successful bidder agrees to pay us a buyer's premium on the hammer price of each lot sold. On all lots we charge 18 %.
- To this lot we apply 'artist's resale right' ('droit de suite') fee. Royalties are calculated using a sliding scale of percentages of the hammer price.