Armando — ‘art, inspired with his personal experiences of war’
‘(…) As a young artist Armando lived and developed in the fifties in Amsterdam under the influence of the Cobra Group. It was a group of artists formed in 1948 in Paris, then the capital of European arts. Its activity was clearly directed against École de Paris, considered to be a spokesman of the north-European painting tradition. To the group belonged artists from Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam, including three Dutchmen: Karl Appel, Constant and Corneille. They presented their art in 1949 during the large exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum(1), creating certain standards. They were identified with the Cobra group, since their art was current, international and close to young Dutchmen. Moreover, it was easy to refer to it. Today it seems to be quite natural that their way led them to what we call informel abstraction in all Europe. This reminds of the second exhibition Documenta in Kassel from 1959, where just the informel abstraction was identified as the expression of the whole generation. Armando’s informel is, however, something more than only the generation style. It’s a quality that hadn’t been represented yet at Documenta exhibitions. (…)’
Lucius Grisebach
piece of text ‘Armando. A painter, a writer, and a sculptor...’
(1) Internationale tentoonstelling van experimentele kunst, Cobra, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, November 3rd-28th, 1949.
‘Armando’ — art which is focused on the phenomena of violence and evil Apart from visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture and film) Armando has cultivated literature and music. At the beginning of his creative life, his works...
Armando (born in 1929 in Amsterdam) is one of the greatest Dutch post-war artists. Apart from plastic arts (painting, drawing and sculpture) he cultivates literature and film. His art, inspired with his personal experiences of war, is focused on the phenomena of violence and evil.
The exhibition of this outstanding Dutch artist is the one and only show of his creation in Poland. It is an important cultural event of high value. For our countries. Thanks to lectures and accompanying events prepared by our gallery it is a very illuminating exhibition.
The curator of the exhibition ‘Armando’ is Marek Złotoś from the Zlotos Gallery in Frankfurt, who has collaborated with the artist for years, and with the Consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Frankfurt.
Exhibition organised in collaboration with the ZLOTOS Gallery, Frankfurt and Armando Museum, Amersfoort.
Exhibition under the honorary patronage of Mr Ed Craanen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Poland.
