Brancusi. Sculpting With Light / Brancusi. Rzezbienie swiatlem

Photobook for the exhibition at the International Cultural Centre in Krakow.The exhibition and photobook "Brancusi. Sculpting with Light" are an attempt to enter the world of one of the most important artists of the 20th century – Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi – and to look at his work through the prism of light and photography.This isn't a traditional biographical account of the artist. It's an attempt to delve into his creative process, to understand how he perceived the world and matter, and how he used light and shadow to imbue form with deeper meaning.In early 20th-century Paris, Constantin Brancusi revolutionized the language of sculpture, reducing form to its essence and seeking within it purity and spiritual depth. Considered one of the fathers of modern art, he introduced abstraction and organic simplicity to sculpture, inspiring generations of artists. His works— " Endless Column" and " Bird in Space" —are not just sculptures but meditations on light, space, and transcendence, which place Brancusi among the most outstanding visionaries of 20th-century art.The bilingual, Polish-English photobook opens with a text by Doina Lemna, curator of the exhibition presented at the MCK Gallery in Krakow, an outstanding expert on the artist's work, researcher and co-curator of many exhibitions devoted to Constantin Brancusi.The publication also presents a detailed biography of the artist, which covers, among other things, his journey from his hometown of Hobita in Oltenia, Romania, to Paris, his education and artistic development, and his most famous exhibitions.The catalogue contains reproductions of 40 original photographs by Constantin Brancusi, from the prestigious private collections of David Grob, Christian Reyntjens and Bruce Silverstein.The final chapter also presents 22 photographs by one of Romania's most renowned photographers, Ion Miclei. These are photographs of the sculpture complex in Targu Jiu, the most precious legacy Constantin Brancusi left to his homeland. This UNESCO World Heritage Site fulfilled the artist's dream of erecting a monument in his native region commemorating the events of World War I, which would also reflect on love, death, and memory.The exhibition and catalogue project was carried out at the International Cultural Centre in Krakow in cooperation with the Romanian Cultural Institute, as part of the Romania–Poland Cultural Season 2024–2025, co-financed by the City of Krakow.