Zbigniew Libera

Last updated
Zbigniew Libera
Born (1959-07-07) 7 July 1959 (age 64)
Pabianice, Polish People's Republic
NationalityPolish
EducationCopernicus University in Torun
Known forPhotography, pop art
Notable workLEGO Concentration Camp
LEGO Concentration Camp, one of Libera's artworks, at the Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw Zbigniew Libera's Concentration Camp.jpg
LEGO Concentration Camp, one of Libera's artworks, at the Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw

Zbigniew Libera (born 7 July 1959) is a Polish artist, born in Pabianice, Poland. Libera's artworks are considered to fall under the styles of pop art and critical art, and are frequently used to comment on political and social issues. [1] [2]

Contents

Considered one of the most renowned Polish artists to date, [2] Libera considers himself the "Father of Critical Art". [3] Libera is best known for his controversial 1996 artwork named LEGO Concentration Camp, depicting a Nazi concentration camp made out of Lego bricks. The artwork attracted much controversy, including The Lego Group threatening legal action. [4]

Libera is also famous for his photography and videography such as Intimate Rites (1984), How to Train Little Girls (1987), and Pozytywy (English: Positives). [1] ‘'Pozytywy’' is a series featuring Libera's photographs that capture humans living in war-torn cities. [1]

Early life

Zbigniew Libera was born and raised in Pabianice, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland, to a single mother whose occupation was nursing. [2] [4]

Libera spent much of his life in Poland and studied at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. [1] Libera began his career as an artist in the mid-1980s, working with an avant-garde group known as “Sternenhoch”. [1] Amongst the “Sternenhoch” group were artists such as Andrezej Partum and Zofia Kulik. [1] In 1982, Libera held his first exhibition in Łódź. [3]

In December 1981, during the Communist rule of Poland, [4] Libera created, printed and published leaflets, posters, and political cartoons [4] designed to challenge laws that were introduced to suppress protests at the Wujek Coal Mine, which eventually led to the Pacification of Wujek. [3] For distributing anti-government material, Libera was arrested in 1982 and sentenced to a total of eighteen months in prison. [3] Art critics and fellow artists have said that Libera's time in prison contributed to his development as an artist. [3]

Libera has created several other photography artworks and videos, including La Vue 2004 – 2006, [5] Intimates Rites 1984 [1] and Positives 2002 – 2003. [6]

LEGO Concentration Camp

Libera is best known for his artwork LEGO Concentration Camp, created in 1996. [4] LEGO Concentration Camp, part of a series called "Corrective Appliances", is considered Libera's most controversial work due to its subject matter, depicting models of concentration camps used by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust, the systemic execution and attempted extermination of Jews and other "undesirables" by Nazi Germany during World War II. [4]

The models, made of Lego bricks and featuring mostly unmodified Lego minifigures (featuring skeleton prisoners, Schutzstaffel-esque guards, and loose body parts), depict representations of barracks, watchtowers, and barbed wire fences seen in concentration camps. LEGO Concentration Camp includes boxes for the sets that were designed to closely resemble actual packaging used for Lego sets, with the box designs including text labels reading "This work of Zbigniew Libera has been sponsored by LEGO", prominently featuring the Lego logo. After building each model, Libera photographed the sets and the minifigures (including scenes such as mass graves and guards beating skeletonized prisoners, evoking imagery of the Holocaust), cut each photograph up into puzzle pieces, and put them into the boxes. [4]

The Lego Group provided Libera with the bricks and minifigures after he requested a donation from their community outreach programs in Poland. According to The Lego Group, the only information they had received from Libera about his artistic intentions was that he would build either a house or a hospital using their bricks. [4] Libera viewed the donation as direct sponsorship and support for his work, and thus placed labeling on the packaging claiming The Lego Group had sponsored the work, despite The Lego Group not knowing what the bricks were going to be used for. [4] [7]

The models, photographs, packaging, and puzzle pieces have since been purchased for thousands of dollars and displayed by museums and art galleries worldwide. [4] Libera's work also inspired the Jewish Museum in New York City to host their "Mirroring Evil: Nazi Imagery / Recent Art" exhibition in 2002. [8]  LEGO Concentration Camp is currently owned and displayed by the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw. [8]

Reception

LEGO Concentration Camp attracted much attention and controversy, mostly due to its subject matter and The Lego Group's identity as a respected toy company that produces child-friendly products. [4]

Libera was criticised by the curator of the Polish Pavilion and sculptor Jan Stanislaw for the inappropriate use of children's toys. [4] The Polish Pavilion invited Libera to display his works in the famous Venice Biennale art exhibition; however, Stanislaw told Libera not to include LEGO Concentration Camp in the display. [4]

Notable criticism came from The Lego Group itself, who believed Libera created the piece intending to be the centre of debate and attention. [4] The Lego Group also stated they were unaware of Libera's intentions when they provided him with the building blocks, and said that if they were aware Libera was going to make concentration camp buildings using their products, they would not have given him the bricks. [4] On 24 February 1997, The Lego Group released an official press release on the issue, declaring that they believe Libera's work to be "disturbing and deplorable", and refusing to take ownership for sponsoring the artwork. [4]

Libera made consistent attempts to combat criticism, stating that it was never his intention to provide a LEGO Concentration Camp to children as a toy and that he only had artistic intent in making the work. [4] He clarified that the meaning behind the artwork was to highlight the contrast between the horrors of the real world, and the perfect world presented to children. [4]

The Jewish Museum in New York supports Libera's piece as it represents a "pivotal event in Jewish history" and important cultural attitudes. [4] Joan Sall, curator of the Levinthal exhibition in the Museum of Judaica, also supports Libera's artwork, arguing that it cleverly demonstrates an ironic point of view, where an otherwise innocuous children's toy is used to show a destructive moment in history. Sall argues that the clear irony of Libera's artwork signifies that the Holocaust is not just Jewish history, but world history. [4]

Works

Videography

Libera's rise to fame as an artist began in the 1980s in Europe when he released a video series beginning with Intimate Rites (1984), followed by How to Train Little Girls (1987), and Mystical Perseverance (1984–1990). [1]

These videos became popular in Europe as a result of the controversial topic Libera based them on; hospitals and death. [1] Intimate Rites is allegedly influenced by the treatments that Libera's grandmother endured in her later life, such as being showered, being spoonfed, and having her diapers changed. [3] Mystical Perseverance is said to have also been influenced by Libera's grandmother and her strange actions that came about as a result of her slow deterioration due to illness. [3] How to Train Little Girls is a political comment on societal norms, such as sexual roles. [3]

Photography

Libera created a series of photographs named Positives (2002-2003), which includes photos of Wehrmacht soldiers destroying a border barrier in Gdańsk in 1939, a Vietnamese girl escaping Trảng Bàng during the Vietnam War in 1972, and prisoners of a liberated concentration camp. [3] The Positives series was another attempt for Libera to comment on trauma, in a similar vein as his videography. [6]

Mistrzowie (2004; English: Masters) is another photography series by Libera that captures sections of published newspapers and magazines that feature interviews with other artists in his league. [3]

Influenced by early twentieth-century French writer Raymond Roussel, [5] La Vue (2004-2006) is a photography series taken of the spaces between glossy magazine pages. [3]

Other works

In 1995, Libera released a piece titled Kens Aunt, consistent of twenty-five copies of a Barbie box-like packaging design and bubble wrap. [1] It was purchased and displayed by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. [1]

Similar to Kens Aunt, Libera created another four-box set titled Eroica, which featured tiny female figures based on models of slaves. [1]

Personal life

Zbigniew Libera currently resides and works in Warsaw. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lego minifigure</span> Plastic figurines manufactured by the Lego Group

A Lego minifigure, often simply referred to as a Lego figure or a minifig, is a small plastic articulated figurine made of special Lego bricks produced by Danish building toy manufacturer The Lego Group. They were first produced in 1978 and have been a success, with over 4 billion produced worldwide as of 2020. Minifigures are usually found within Lego sets, although they are also sold separately as collectables in blind bags, or can be custom-built in Lego stores and on lego.com. While some are named as specific characters, either licensed from already existing franchises or of Lego's own creation, many are unnamed and are designed simply to fit within a certain theme. They are highly customizable, and parts from different figures can be mixed and matched, resulting in many combinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zachęta National Gallery of Art</span> Museum for Contemporary Polish Art in Warsaw, Poland

The Zachęta National Gallery of Art is a contemporary art museum in the center of Warsaw, Poland. The Gallery's chief purpose is to present and support Polish contemporary art and artists. With numerous temporary exhibitions of well-known foreign artists, the gallery has also established itself internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czesława Kwoka</span> Holocaust victim (1928–1943)

Czesława Kwoka was a Polish Catholic girl who was murdered at the age of 14 in Auschwitz. One of the thousands of minor child and teen victims of German World War II war crimes against ethnic Poles in German-occupied Poland, she is among those memorialized in an Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum exhibit, "Block no. 6: Exhibition: The Life of the Prisoners".

Lego <i>Harry Potter</i> Lego theme based on the Harry Potter film series

Lego Harry Potter is a Lego theme based on the film series of the same name and the eponymous novels by British author J. K. Rowling. It is licensed from Warner Bros. Lego models of important scenes, vehicles and characters were made for the first six films and all of the published books. The first sets appeared in 2001, to coincide with the release of the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Subsequent sets were released alongside the new films, until Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The line then went dormant for three years, with sets being released in 2010 and 2011. In 2018, it was announced that more sets based on the Harry Potter franchise would be released, including new sets based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and its sequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

Lego Sports was a Lego theme that was launched in 2000 and discontinued in 2007. The theme focused on a variety of sports-themed toy sets, including football, basketball and hockey.

Lego Star Wars is a Lego theme and multimedia franchise revolving around the Star Wars media franchise created by George Lucas. Part of the theme are, next to, over 910 Lego building toy sets 1328 Lego minifigures, an eponymous video game series, containing six games, multiple computer animated short films and TV series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Sawaya</span> American artist (born 1973)

Nathan Sawaya is an American artist who builds custom three-dimensional sculptures and large-scale mosaics from popular everyday items and is best known for his work with standard Lego building bricks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilhelm Brasse</span> Polish photographer

Wilhelm Brasse was a Polish professional photographer and a prisoner in Auschwitz during World War II. He became known as the "famous photographer of Auschwitz concentration camp." His life and work were the subject of the 2005 Polish television documentary film The Portraitist (Portrecista), which first aired in the Proud to Present series on the Polish TVP1 on 1 January 2006.

Maria Albin Bończa-Boniecki (1908–1995) was a Polish artist. A survivor of the Nazi concentration camp Majdanek, he took part in the Warsaw Uprising and upon liberation from German POW camps settled in Paris. He emigrated to the United States of America in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lego Modular Buildings</span> Series of Lego sets that resemble real life buildings

Lego Modular Buildings is a series of Lego building toy sets introduced in 2007, with new sets usually being released annually. Created in response to feedback and suggestions from the Adult Fans of Lego bricks (AFOL) and Teen Fans of Lego (TFOL) communities, the sets in this series are generally intended for more advanced builders. Most sets contain more than 2,000 total pieces and make use of unorthodox building techniques not usually used in previous official Lego sets. In contrast to most Lego sets aimed at children and adolescents, the suggested age of most sets in the Lego Modular Buildings series is 16 years or older. The Lego Modular Buildings sets have been received with positive reviews and are considered by Lego designers and fans as "toys for adults".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lego Toy Story</span> Lego theme

Lego Toy Story is a Lego theme based on the Disney·Pixar's Toy Story film franchise. The first four sets were released on December 30, 2009, with an additional two sets being released on January 4, 2010. In May, five Lego and four Duplo sets were released under the Toy Story 3 sub-theme. For the release of Toy Story 4 there was one Duplo set based on the third film and 6 Lego sets based on the fourth film. These sets were released in March and in April 2019 this time under the Juniors line. The minifigures in the sets were also now redesigned.

Lego Minifigures is a 2010 Lego theme based on a set of collectible Lego minifigures. Each figure is an original character with new clothing and facial designs, and most contain previously unseen accessories. Each series usually contained 16 different minifigures; however, some series contain as few as 9 minifigures, while others contain up to 22. Since 2021, the number of different minifigures for a series is set to 12. In 2023, the Disney 100-anniversary series came out, bringing the total number of figures to 18, although it was once again reduced to 12 with the second Marvel series. This series also introduced paper boxes, instead of the plastic bags, making it no longer possible to feel up the pieces for each figure. It just happens that the only Lego minifigure with a nose is the Lord Voldemort Lego figure.

The acknowledgement of Lego in popular culture is demonstrated by the toy's wide representation in publication, television and film, and its common usage in artistic and cultural works.

Lego Super Heroes is a theme and product range of the Lego construction toy, introduced in 2011, owned by The Lego Group and licensed from DC Entertainment, Marvel Entertainment, Warner Bros., The Walt Disney Company and Pixar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lego Legends of Chima</span> LEGO Theme

Lego Legends of Chima was a Lego theme that was introduced in 2013 and discontinued in 2015. The product line was based on the storyline of Legends of Chima, a 3D animated television series, which was produced to coincide with the Lego theme. The storyline was set in the fictional realm of "Chima", a fantasy world inhabited by various warring tribes of anthropomorphic animals that battle to collect a substance called "Chi". Alongside the television series and several shorts based on Lego Legends of Chima. The theme also produced a range of associated media, including theme park attractions, video games, and publications.

Fiszel Zylberberg, most commonly known as Zber was a Jewish artist, best known for his work in xylography. Zber was said to be a young artist who was a genius of the graphic arts, so much so that his style was known to have a "lyricism drawn from life itself." His masterpieces are now represented in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the Tel-Aviv Museum, the Museum of Modern art in Haifa, the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, and in many other reputable art museums.

The Lego Ninjago Movie was a product line based on The Lego Ninjago Movie, the third film of The Lego Movie franchise. It was licensed from The Lego Group and Warner Bros. Animation. The theme was introduced in 2017 as part of a licensing and merchandising programme associated with the film. Alongside the release of the Lego sets, the programme included the release of several promotional short films and The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game. The product line was discontinued by the end of 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lego Jurassic World (theme)</span> Lego theme

Lego Jurassic World is a Lego theme based on the Jurassic World media franchise created by Michael Crichton and centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. It is licensed from Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment. The theme was introduced in June 2015, with the release of toy sets and the video game Lego Jurassic World, both to promote the film Jurassic World. Subsequent sets were released in 2018, alongside the next film, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Various animated projects have also been made, including the 2018 television special Lego Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit, and the 2019 miniseries Lego Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lego The Lone Ranger</span> Lego theme

Lego The Lone Ranger was a Lego theme based on the film of the same name. It is licensed from Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films. The theme was first introduced in April 2013 and was discontinued by the end of 2014 in conjunction with the theatrical release of the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lego Vidiyo</span> Lego theme

Lego Vidiyo was a Lego theme that allows children to create their own music videos and dance clips using a range of Lego toy sets and an associated app. It is licensed from Universal Music Group. The theme was first introduced in March 2021, before being discontinued by the end of January 2022 after being deemed a commercial disaster.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Feinstein, S.C (2000). Zbigniew Libera's Lego concentration camp: Iconoclasm in conceptual art about the Shoah. Other Voices.
  2. 1 2 3 Szenajch, Piotr (2020-03-02). "Zbigniew Libera Archive - Registry - Courage – Connecting collections". cultural-opposition.eu. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Zbigniew Libera". Culture.pl. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Feiner, Richard (January 1999). "How Free Is It? Artistic Expression and New Power Structures in the New Europe". The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society. 28 (4): 278–295. doi:10.1080/10632929909599563. ISSN   1063-2921.
  5. 1 2 zaremba, łukasz (2013-09-04). Mediating Visual Experience: Zbigniew Libera's Photographic Works and Google Street View Imagery. Journal of Invisible Culture. OCLC   869418142.
  6. 1 2 "Positives - Zbigniew Libera". Culture.pl. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  7. ↑ Ray, Gene (2005), "Mirroring Evil: Auschwitz, Art and the "War on Terror"", Terror and the Sublime in Art and Critical Theory, New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, pp. 61–72, doi:10.1057/9781403979445_5, ISBN   978-1-349-53124-0 , retrieved 2022-05-12
  8. 1 2 Museum of Modern Art Warsaw, Museum of Modern Art Warsaw (11 May 2022). "Zbigniew Libera" . Retrieved 11 May 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.