Czesław Czapliński photographed Tadeusz Kantor in New York in the LaMaMa E.T.C. Theatre twice: in 1982, during the presentations of the "Wielopole, Wielopole" play and in 1985, when Kantor came to New York to give guest performances of "Let the Artists Die".
The unique black-and-white photographs of the plays are accompanied by colourful pictures of New York of those times.
Tadeusz Zielniewicz, Director of the Royal Łazienki Museum: - Tadeusz Kantor was a versatile artist: a stage director, actor, writer, painter, poet, stage designer, organiser of happenings, art theoretician and one of the most prominent figures of Polish 20th-century avant-garde. 2015 marked the 100th anniversary of the artist's birth and has been declared the Year of Tadeusz Kantor by UNESCO. Beyond any doubt, one of Kantor's greatest artistic achievements included the plays of the legendary Cricot 2 Theatre, which produced such masterpieces as "The Dead Class" (1975), "Wielopole, Wielopole" (1980) or "Let the Artists Die" (1985).
Dorota Buchwald, Director of Theatre Institute in Warsaw: - Tadeusz Kantor's successful visit to New York and La MaMa is one of the least known moments of Cricot 2's world tours. Fortunately, it was captured in Czesław Czapliński's photographs. Luckily, every form of theatrical event has been accompanied by photography from the moment it was invented, allowing us today, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the public theatre and the 100th anniversary of Tadeusz Kantor's birth, to tell the stories of the theatre which is long gone.
The exhibition marks the end of 2015 declared by UNESCO as the Year of Tadeusz Kantor.
Photographs: Czesław Czapliński
Design: Robert Poryzała
Production: Agnieszka Kubaś
