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Edward Krasiński's 'Spear' (1964)

‘Spears hung from the wires stretched between the trees created an illusion of movement. They were swishing [in the air]. It was all about preparing the spear to perform its function. Once prepared it could act on its own.’

So Edward Krasiński described his 1964 performance Spear.

Krasiński (1925–2004) was one of the most important artists of the European post-war avant-garde, whose work ranged from sculptures to immersive installations. He sought to reduce sculpture to a mere line, best epitomised in his use of blue adhesive tape: ‘I place it horizontally at a height of 130cm everywhere and on everything.’ This included his Warsaw studio, which has been preserved as he left it.

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