Tadeusz Kantor
Tadeusz Kantor (born April 6, 1915, in Wielopole SkrzyÅ„skie; died December 8, 1990, in Kraków) was a distinguished Polish director, painter, scenographer, art theorist, and the creator of happenings. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków from 1934 to 1939. After World War II, he co-founded the Group of Young Artists and later revived the Cracow Group. Kantor is best known for his work in theater, particularly as the founder of the Cricot 2 Theatre. His performances, including UmarÅ‚a klasa (Dead Class, 1975) and Wielopole, Wielopole (1980), combined visual art with theatrical expression and were deeply rooted in Polish history and the artist's own biography.
Kantor received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career. In 1976, he won an honorary prize for his production of Umarła klasa at the 17th Festival of Polish Contemporary Arts in Wrocław, as well as the Boy's Award. In 1977, he received the Norwid Critics Award for the same play, and in 1978, he was awarded the Best Play Prize at the Caracas Festival. He was also honored with the Rembrandt Award for his contribution to contemporary art in 1978. In 1980, Kantor won the OBIE Award (USA) for Best Production on Broadway, and in 1981, he received the Ministry of Culture and Art First Degree Award for scenographic work. In 1982, he earned the Minister of Foreign Affairs Diploma for promoting Polish culture abroad, and in 1985, he was awarded the Legion of Honor in France. In 1986, he received the "Targa Europea" award for his significant contribution to culture and science, as well as a New York Critics Award for Umarła klasa. In 1989, he was named Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France, and in 1990, he received the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his influence on contemporary European art.
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Selected solo exhibitions:
2024/25 To remember everything and forget everything.... Presentation of Tadeusz Kantor's drawings from the series Milanese Lessons, Cricoteca, Cracow
2024 BereÅ› / Kantor, Cricoteca, Cracow
2023/24 Tadeusz Kantor Café Europe, Cricoteca, Cracow
2022 Milano... Painting and drawings by Tadeusz Kantor from the collection of Franco Laery, Cricoteca, Cracow
2016/17 Schlemmer | Kantor, Cricoteca, Cracow
2016/17 Tadeusz Kantor. Wielopole, Wielopole. Last Supper, Cricoteca, Antonio Pasqualino International Marionette Museum, Palermo
2015 Tadeusz Kantor – Drawing, SzydÅ‚owski Gallery, Warsaw
2013/2014 Tadeusz Kantor. Drawings, Szydłowski Gallery, Warsaw
2005 Tadeusz Kantor – Interior of the Imagination, ZachÄ™ta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
1994 Tadeusz Kantor, Home, Biblioteka Gallery, Legionowo (curator: Stefan Szydłowski)
1990 Today is My Birthday, Galerie Eva Poll, Berlin
1990 Today is My Birthday, Foksal Gallery, Warsaw
1989 Tadeusz Kantor. Le voyage, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
1986 Solo Exhibition, Galerie Eva Poll, Berlin
1985 Solo Exhibition, Galerie Eva Poll, Berlin
1985 Solo Exhibition, Salle de Théologie du Palais des Papes, Avignon
1984 Solo Exhibition, Maison de la Culture, Grenoble
1982 Metamorphoses, Galerie de France, Paris
1976 Tadeusz Kantor, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London
Selected group exhibitions:
2014 The Moderna Exhibition. Society Acts, Moderna Museet Malmo, Malmö
2015 Tadeusz Kantor – Drawing, SzydÅ‚owski Gallery, Warsaw
1990 The Objects and Memory Plates of Cricot 2 Theatre, Biuro Wystaw Artystycznych, Wrocław
1987 Oggetti e macchine del teatro di Tadeusz Kantor, Museo delle Marionette, Palermo and Centro di Ricerche Teatrali, Milan
1987 The Shoemakers and Balladyna, Cricoteka, Cracow
1985 Witkacy and Cricot 2 Theatre, Cricoteka, Cracow
1984 Cricot 2 Theatre Exhibition, Theatermanufaktur, West Berlin
1984 Foksal Gallery Exhibition, Foksal Gallery, Warsaw
1983 La troupe Cricot 2 et son Avant-garde, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
1983 Présence Polonaise, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
1982 Échange entre Artistes 1931 – 1982. Poland – USA, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
1977 Documenta, Kassel
1961 15 Polish Painters, Museum of Modern Art, New York
1959 Documenta, Kassel