Challenging the dominant narrative of post-war abstraction as an inherently Western phenomenon, curator Pavel Pyś is planning an ambitious exhibition scheduled 2020. The show will examine how the ideological poles that shaped and informed abstraction from 1945 through the 1970s—communism versus capitalism; East versus West; freedom versus control—manifested in Lahore, Baghdad, Sao Paulo, Tokyo, and other centers not traditionally considered in canonical art history. Pyś will study the ways in which abstraction emerged organically in these cities in response to local economic, political and social factors. Pyś will travel internationally to research this exhibition and further investigate the people and places, as well as the political and cultural conditions that drove the development of abstraction internationally.
Pavel Pyś
“The Warhol Foundation aims to support the full range of artistic activity in America—from exhibitions at major museums to neighborhood projects by artist collectives. Arts writers, through the range and specialization of their individual interests, touch upon all of this activity—illuminating and interrogating it and bringing it into conversation with the public. Support for artists is not complete without support for the circulation and serious consideration of their ideas. The Arts Writers Grant program keeps artists at the center of cultural dialogue and debate—in our opinion, right where they belong.”
Joel Wachs, President