Solo exhibition Japan, installation, Arti et Amicitiae, 1988, Amsterdam, NL curated by Thomas Meyer zu Schlochtern
/../ It is no surprise that the two months Krystyna Ziach spent in Japan in early 1987 have made a deep impression on her. For an artist of the West like her, with a study of art history as cultural background and born and raised in Poland, with its art tradition influenced by Russian constructivism as well as surrealism, Japan not only offers new experiences, but also additions to and a deeper understanding of earlier ones. In the complex whole of Japanese culture, Krystyna Ziach was above all fascinated by the importance in this culture of beauty and artificiality, in close relation with each other, and by the notion of spiritual strength, which is especially pivotal to Japanese religions, such as Shinto and Zen Buddhism. These notions are the starting point for her work presented here, which gives us her intuitional impressions of Japan and Japanese culture. In making this work she has of course drawn on the sources of her own cultural background, her own tradition and her own artistic visual language. The work presented here directly refers to temples, Buddha sculptures, Zen gardens and the Noh and Kabuki theatre, all of which specifically express the notions of beauty, artificiality and spirituality /.../", Japan / Krystyna Ziach", H. Dalitz, 1988, director of the Foundation of Visual Arts, Amsterdam * read more: Japan / Krystyna Ziach, text by H. Dalitz, text from the catalogue Japan / Krystyna Ziach, 1988, NL, on the website : www.krystynaziach.com/documents
