GALLERY 2
29.04.-11.06.2000

Jan Lenica
animated films, posters, film projects, satirical drawings

Exhibition opening 28.04, 6 p.m.0

The exhibition is accompanied by screening of Jan Lenica’s films,
29.04 - 2.05, 6 and 8 p.m., Cinema/Auditorium

Jan Lenica was born in 1928 in Poznan. He studied architecture on the Technical University of Warsaw, working at the same time for a popular satirical magazine “Szpilki” (“Pins”). He moved to Paris and later to the U.S.A. where in 1974 he became a professor at the Harvard University in Cambridge. In 1979 Lenica was the head of animated films department at the University of Kassel. At present he lives and works in Berlin, where from 1986 to 94 he gave lectures at Hochschule der Kunste.

Jan Lenica is the author of over 150 film and theatrical posters (e.g. Roman Polanski’s Knife in the water, Shakespeare’s Macbeth). They can be found in many collections and are often shown at individual exhibitions, in Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (1980), Kunstverain in Kassel (1981), Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna (1982), Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg (1991).

Jan Lenica has been making animated films, in different techniques since the 1950’s. In the beginning he co-operated with Walerian Borowczyk in making Once upon... and House, which are now considered to be the classics of Polish animation. In 1959 in France he made his first individual film Mr. Head. His next films The New Janko Musician, The Labyrinth, Rhinoceroses and Still Life (the latter two made in West Germany) established him as one of the most talented artists of the genre.

It is impossible to mention all the awards Jan Lenica has received. These are just a few: Labyrinth - First Prize in experimental films at the IX International Festival of Short Films in Oberhausen 1963, films A and Rhinoceroses - Grand Prix at the XI IFSF in Oberhausen 1965, in 1964,1965 and 1969 Lenica was awarded the Bundesfilmpreis and in 1986 in Oberhausen he received a prize for his entire work.

This retrospective in CCA was prepared in association with the National Museum in Poznan, the National Museum in Warsaw, the Poster Museum in Wilanów, the Museum of Central Pomerania in Slupsk, Harvard Film Archive, Polish TV Channel 2, Studio of Film Miniatures, Documentary and Fiction Films Production House and thanks to the financial support of: Art & Business Magazine, Goethe-Institut Warsaw, the Culture Foundation, the Cinematography Committee, the OUTDOOR company (for poster promotion), Presspublica, The Warsaw’s City Office.

Urszula Sniegowska

Screening of Jan Lenica’s films,
29.04 - 2.05.2000, Cinema / Auditorium Room:

Program I, 29.04, 6 and 8 p.m., 83 min.
1. Once upon, 1957, 10 min
2. Rewarded feeling, 1957, 8 min
3. House, 1958, 11 min
4. Mr. Head, 1959, 15 min
5. The New Janko Musician, 1960, 10 min
6. Labyrinth, 1962, 10 min
7. Rhinoceroses, 1963, 11 min
8. A, 1964, 8 min
Meeting with the artist.

Program II, 30. 04, 6 and 8 p.m., 92 min.
1. Flowerwoman, 1965, 9 min
2. Adam 2, 1968, 70 min
3. Still life, 1969, 13 min

Program III, 1. 05, 6 and 8 p.m., 97 min.
1. Fantorro, 1972, 12 min
2. Landscape, 1974, 10 min
3. King Ubu, 1979, 75 min

Program IV, 2.05, 6 and 8 p.m., 70 min.
1. Moving Pictures, directed by Richard Rogers, 20 min.
2. Lenica, directed by W. Kukla
3. Jan Lenica, directed by Joanna Cichocka-Gula
4. Jan Lenica’s Island, 1998, 28 min, directed by Marcin Gizycki

Jan Lenica

One man shows:
1948 Club of Young Artists, Warsaw;
1963 Stuck-Villa, Munchen;
1973 Galeria Poznanska, Poznan (retrospektywa);
1980 Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.

Selected group exhibitions:
1971 Vier Polnische Plakatkunstler, Deutsche Plakat-Museum, Essen;
1980 Triennale '80: Die Beste Plakate der Jahre 1977 bis 1980, Deutsche Plakat- Museum, Essen.

Publications:
The Train, Monachium 1969, London 1970;
The Magic Bird (with text of Max Bolliger), London 1987;
Adam II (movie), 1969.