In the spotlight

This spring, step into the woven world of Magdalena Abakanowicz (1930-2017), one of the greatest artists of the last century. Known the world over for her sculptures, Abakanowicz explored themes that remain relevant today, leaving behind an impressive body of work that continues to inspire countless artists.

A pioneer of installation art, the Polish Abakanowicz changed the art world forever. Sometimes called 'the mother of installation art', she elevated working with textiles to an art form. Her name may not yet be familiar to everyone, but this spring Brabant is offering the public a unique opportunity to change that. Her groundbreaking work, which pushed the boundaries of traditional art forms, can be seen in a joint exhibition at the TextielMuseum in Tilburg, Het Noordbrabants Museum and the Provinciehuis in ’s-Hertogenbosch.

Magdalena Abakanowicz's work has never been exhibited on such a large scale in the Netherlands before, but her work has been featured in a solo exhibition at Tate Modern in 2022 and major museums such as MoMA and Tate hold works from her collection. Thanks to a unique collaboration, we can now give Abakanowicz the recognition she truly deserves in our country as well.

She created her own Abakans

In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, Magdalena Abakanowicz gained international recognition and admiration. She was one of the first artists to break away from the traditional tapestry, popular in the 1950s and 1960s, by removing it from the wall and transforming it into a three-dimensional object in space. This innovation resulted in abstract, monumental forms – often metres high – that were so groundbreaking they defied conventional description. They were called Abakans after the artist herself. Pioneering installation art at a time when it did not yet exist, Abakanowicz’s stunning, multifaceted work fundamentally altered the course of modern and contemporary art.

She made her largest work ever in Brabant

The best place to experience the monumental character of Abakanowicz's oeuvre in the Netherlands is at the Provinciehuis in 's-Hertogenbosch, where you can see the largest work she ever made: Bois le Duc (1970-1971). Commissioned by architect Hugh Maaskant, she created this three-dimensional installation, consisting of 19 woven strips over 7 m high and 22 m wide, especially for the Bois le Duc hall. Maaskant was impressed by Abakanowicz’s work, which he first saw at the Lausanne Biennale. The installation is located in a normally restricted space, but a special programme has been created for the joint exhibition to explain the work and make it more accessible to the public. This will include guided tours, a film and an international symposium. Details of these activities can be found on the websites of both museums.

Her activism remains relevant today

Abakanowicz created her work in the aftermath of the Second World War and the subsequent Russian repression in large parts of Eastern Europe. Once again, we find ourselves at a time when the old conflict between East and West is reigniting, and it is in this context that we revisit her work. In 1971, Magdalena Abakanowicz visited the Club of Rome, where predictions of climate change had a profound effect on her. From then on, she dedicated herself to the restoration of humanity and nature. In her time, it took an atomic bomb and a moon landing to wake us up to how fragile our environment really is.