Reconstruction of Tapta's artwork, "Forms for a Flexible Space", 1975 - wool, cotton, hemp, aluminium - MUKHA Collection, Antwerpen

2023

As part as of the WIELS exhibition « Espaces souples », dedicated to the textile work of Tapta (Maria Wierusz-Kowalski 1926-1997),  an environment made of wool and cotton ropes, suspended from the ceiling to the ground. Curator: Liesbeth Decan.  https://www.wiels.org/en/exhibitions/espaces-souples

A limited access to the original_but in very bad condition_ artwork made it possible to follow Tapta’s footstep and recollect the ingredients movements and gestures of this very precise yet organique work; observing, reading, measuring the original piece together with Estelle Chatelin were key moments that made it possible to understand the techniques, to (re)trace a path of thought through the material flow_ fibers and yarns to be identified and quantified in order to produce the 1700 meters of ropes needed for the 46 modules the piece is made of_coils, spirals, connections, cascades, twists, knots, cushions, hanging system, …

The pictures of the original taken from different angles by Philippe De Gobert when installed at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in 1975 was of precious help to understand and sketch the plan of the whole installation. Ann-Veronica Janssens memories, who was both Tapta's student and assistant, were friendly landmark in our decisional process.

Commissioned by WIELS shortly before the exhibition opened, the work was created in the exhibition space itself, immediately requiring teamwork. The production workshop was specially designed and built to accommodate the tools, movements, positions, weights and dimensions required to create the work. The challenge was to design all the production stages and coordinate different skills and makers, including volunteer students from ENSAV La Cambre and the Luca School of Art.

This collective process of understanding and making things recalled Tapta’s teaching practice, as she used to share exploratory in situ projects with her students, in her « Sculpture souple » workshop at La Cambre (1976-1990).

In collaboration with Estelle Chatelin and Antonella Valerio,

with the voluntary participation of Rose Egidi, students from ENSAV La Cambre and Luca School of Art: Amaryllis Bouyer, Annelies Clerix, Bianca Cuevas Geiger, Coline Ernould, Sule Nur Eryuruk, Anouk Ostyn, Martha Verleyen

In 2024, an extended version of the exhibition was organized at the Susch Museum in Switzerland. https://www.muzeumsusch.ch/de/1931/Tapta-Flexible-Forms

alt
alt
photo: Lola Pertsowsky
alt
photo: Lola Pertsowsky
alt
photo: Lola Pertsowsky
alt
alt
alt
photo:Liesbeth Decan
alt
Dessins par Estelle Chatelin
alt
alt
Photo: Liesbeth Decan
alt
Tapta, 1974 - Maurice Verbaet collection
alt
No items found.

More work