Paweł Althamer – Emissaries of Light

Paweł Althamer
Emissaries of Light
January 19 – March 17
Curator: Olga Krzeszowiec Malmsten

Magasin III presents Paweł Althamer’s sculpture group Emissaries of Light for the first time in Europe. Five life size characters are caught in a winding ring dance that appears to defy gravity, as if about to take the next step in the dance or lose balance and fall. The artist leaves it unsaid whether the collective movement of Hermes, Lady from Mariensztat, Kyoto, Grandma, and Wiktor is a joyous experience or a hastening procession towards death. Emissaries of Light, 2022, was recently added to the Magasin III Collection, and is on view in the spring of 2024.  

Paweł Althamer works with sculpture, performance, video, and actions. He often returns to the idea of play as a method of work. Through play, we can follow the rules of the game (society), but also renegotiate or break them. Dancing with others can be a way of playing together and relying on other bodies, but it also carries the risk of losing control. If one is willing to lose oneself in the collective movement, dancing can potentially become an out-of-body experience. Althamer’s work often portrays the human body, but he is primarily interested in what lies beyond our physical manifestation.

Many of Althamer’s projects are rooted in social engagement and collaborations with local colleagues, neighbors, and individuals who lack a strong voice in society. He has worked with homeless, migrants, and youths from socially vulnerable areas of Warsaw. This approach is an extension of his concept of the self-portrait – identifying with the other.

Booklet
A booklet has been produced for the presentation, which will be distributed free of charge to visitors. It will also be available for download from the website starting from January 19th.

For press information, please contact: 
Lisa Boström, Head of Communications Magasin III
bostrom@magasin3.com, 070-772 87 22