Magdalena Abakanowicz

(Poland) *1930 in Falenty; †2017 in Warsaw

Magdalena Abakanowicz has been the recipient of numerous awards since 1965. Her work has been exhibited in major museums and in public open spaces around the world, and forms part of the world’s leading collections. Several of her expressive and ever-challenging works have been shown in previous “Blickachsen” exhibitions. This year, in “Blickachsen 9”, Abakanowicz is showing three characteristic works made of resin-infused burlap in The Squaire building of Frankfurt airport. Identified by the title as birds, two huge creatures attached to poles and possessing no visible sense organs seem, despite their spread wings, to be anchored to their perch. Decisively grounded, on the other hand, and notwithstanding its headlessness, the larger-than-life human figure “Tall” strides powerfully and solemnly forward. The missing head and arms lend it an eerie quality, yet in the bold connection of the torso and legs the figure steps out with a monolithic force, extending the artist’s figurative imagery into a realm that calls up the might of giant trees.