Plans are afoot to launch a museum of avant-garde art in Zakopane, with a view to opening in late 2008. A delightful turn of the century villa has been selected for the purpose, and renovation work is set to start.
But hang on a moment, you might say. What has a little town in the Polish mountains got to with trail-blazing avant-garde art? Well, if we're talking about Zakopane, then the answer is quite a lot. This highland hideaway was something of a mecca for Polish artists and intellectuals a century ago, and it continued to be so right up until the war. As a result, some of Poland's greatest artists lived and worked here, often taking the surrounding scenery as there inspiration.
The venue that has been ear-marked for the museum is the Villa Oksza, one of the first buildings in the fabled 'Zakopane Style' - an idiom that was conceived by the guru of Polish artists, Staniislaw Witkiewicz. The villa will house works by the likes of Kazimiez Sichulski, Jacek and Rafal Malczewski, Zofia Strjensksa, and Witkiewicz's own son - 'Witkacy.' In short leading lights of the idea. If all goes to plan, the Villa Oksza will be a fantastic new feather in Zakopane's cap, joining what is already an impressive array of museums for a relatively small town. Watch this space for more info.
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