“With my exhibitions around the world, I wanted to make people aware that my captive country still has a high level of old culture contributing to the world heritage, and is at the same time is able to speak about the recent reality with the very personal strong voice of modern art. I travelled probably more than any other artist. So important was the dialogue with the whole world.”
Magdalena Abakanowicz: Human Nature
HET Noordbrabants Museum, 's-Hertogenbosch | June 12, 2025
Upcoming symposium in conjunction with the exhibition Magdalena Abakanowicz: Human Nature, Triptych in Brabant at HET Noordbrabants Museum in 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands will be organised
This symposium, organized by HET Noordbrabants Museum and Textiel Museum Tilburg, brings together artists, curators, students, and the public to explore the enduring relevance of Magdalena Abakanowicz's work. Central to this will be both Abakanowicz's pioneering vision and practice and the relationship between art, politics, ecology, and architecture, placing her work in a broader contemporary artistic and social dialogue. The common denominator for the symposium is Bois le Duc. This artwork, the largest ever created by Abakanowicz and hanging in the Provinciehuis of North Brabant, interweaves the different stories of the exhibitions and serves as a conceptual springboard for the symposium's three core themes: fiber, architecture, and ecology.
The symposium will have three thematic blocks:
Theme 1: “Fibers”. This theme explores fiber as a source of innovation in art, both in form and socio-political context.
Theme 2: “Ecology / Human-Nature”. This theme explores the intricate connection between Magdalena Abakanowicz's oeuvre and her profound insights into human nature, which extend into contemporary post-human discourse.
Theme 3: “Art and architecture / Art and space”. This theme explores the impact of Abakanowicz's art on the perception of architecture and the understanding of space.