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The [[Jewish Museum (New York)|Jewish Museum]] in [[New York City]] exhibited these sets in 2002<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2012/01/lego-concentration-camp-warsaw-museum.html|title=Warsaw art museum buys Zbigniew Libera's 'Lego' concentration camp|date=2012-01-03|website=LA Times Blogs - Culture Monster|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-05}}</ref> as part of a show entitled ''Mirroring Evil: Nazi Imagery/Recent Art''. Critics accused Libera of trivialising the [[The Holocaust|Holocaust]] in his 'LEGO Concentration Camp' artwork. Defenders argue, however, that the LEGO sets mirror the evil-minded ingenuity required to construct the concentration camps as instruments of terror. Art historical criticism, like that proposed by Ernst van Alphen, has argued that the toys seek to represent and refigure the Holocaust in a more familiar register that recovers its meaning from overbearing Holocaust education programs. Art historian [[Norman Kleeblatt]] proposes a similar reading, understanding the works as a study into the [[Michel Foucault|Foucauldian]] [[biopower]] of concentration camps.
The [[Jewish Museum (New York)|Jewish Museum]] in [[New York City]] exhibited these sets in 2002<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2012/01/lego-concentration-camp-warsaw-museum.html|title=Warsaw art museum buys Zbigniew Libera's 'Lego' concentration camp|date=2012-01-03|website=LA Times Blogs - Culture Monster|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-05}}</ref> as part of a show entitled ''Mirroring Evil: Nazi Imagery/Recent Art''. Critics accused Libera of trivialising the [[The Holocaust|Holocaust]] in his 'LEGO Concentration Camp' artwork. Defenders argue, however, that the LEGO sets mirror the evil-minded ingenuity required to construct the concentration camps as instruments of terror. Art historical criticism, like that proposed by Ernst van Alphen, has argued that the toys seek to represent and refigure the Holocaust in a more familiar register that recovers its meaning from overbearing Holocaust education programs. Art historian [[Norman Kleeblatt]] proposes a similar reading, understanding the works as a study into the [[Michel Foucault|Foucauldian]] [[biopower]] of concentration camps.


Zbigniew Libera is also famous for his photography artworks such as his series labeled 'Pozytywy' (translates to 'Positives').<ref>{{Cite web |title=Zbigniew Libera |url=https://culture.pl/en/artist/zbigniew-libera |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=Culture.pl |language=en}}</ref> This series features Libera's photographs that captured humans living in war and war-torn cities.
Zbigniew Libera is also famous for his photography artworks such as his series labeled 'Pozytywy' (translates to 'Positives').<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Zbigniew Libera |url=https://culture.pl/en/artist/zbigniew-libera |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=Culture.pl |language=en}}</ref> This series features Libera's photographs that captured humans living in war and war-torn cities.

== Life and Background ==


Zbigniew Libera, born (1959) in [[Pabianice|Pabianice, Poland]], is a polish artist best known for his artwork titled ‘[[Lego|LEGO]] [[Concentration Camp]]’<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Feiner |first=Richard |date=1999-01 |title=How Free Is It? Artistic Expression and New Power Structures in the New Europe |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10632929909599563 |journal=The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=278–295 |doi=10.1080/10632929909599563 |issn=1063-2921}}</ref>. Zbigniew Libera’s artworks are considered to fall under the styles of ‘[[pop art]]’ and ‘[[Critical Art Ensemble|critical art’]], and have been frequently used his works to comment on political and social issues<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Feinstein |first=S.C |title=Zbigniew Libera’s Lego concentration camp: Iconoclasm in conceptual art about the Shoah. |publisher=Other Voices |year=2000 |language=English}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Szenajch |first=Piotr |date=2020-03-02 |title=Zbigniew Libera Archive - Registry - Courage – Connecting collections |url=http://cultural-opposition.eu/registry/?uri=http://courage.btk.mta.hu/courage/individual/n124188 |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=cultural-opposition.eu |language=en-US}}</ref>. Zbigniew Libera spent his early years in [[Poland]] and studied at the [[Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń|Copernicus University]] in the polish city of [[Toruń|Torun]]<ref name=":2" />. Libera began his career as an artist in the mid-1980’s, working with an [[avant-garde]] group known as “Sternenhoch”<ref name=":2" />. Amongst the “Sternenhoch” group were artists such as Andrezej Partum and [[Zofia Kulik]]<ref name=":2" />. Zbigniew Libera is now considered to be one of the most renowned Polish artists to date<ref name=":3" />. Zbigniew Libera’s most famous artwork is his ‘[[Lego|LEGO]] [[Concentration Camp]]’, created in 1966, which attracted much attention because of the controversy it caused, including the [[Lego|LEGO]] Corporation threatening to take legal action<ref name=":1" />. Zbigniew Libera has created several other photography artworks and videos, including La Vue 2004 - 2006<ref>{{Cite book |last=łukasz |first=zaremba, |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/869418142 |title=Mediating Visual Experience: Zbigniew Libera’s Photographic Works and Google Street View Imagery |date=2013-09-04 |publisher=Journal of Invisible Culture |oclc=869418142}}</ref>, Intimates Rites 1984<ref name=":2" /> and Positives 2002 - 2003<ref>{{Cite web |title=Positives - Zbigniew Libera |url=https://culture.pl/en/work/positives-zbigniew-libera |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=Culture.pl |language=en}}</ref>.

== Lego Concentration Camp ==
Zbigniew Libera’s most controversial artwork to date named ‘[[Lego|LEGO]] [[Concentration Camp]]’ was created in 1996<ref name=":1" />. [[Lego|LEGO]] [[Concentration Camp]] consists of seven box sets each containing a different perspective of [[Nazi concentration camps]] in [[World War II]]<ref name=":2" />, including human limbs piled on top of each other<ref name=":1" />. The [[Lego|LEGO]] Corporation is one of the largest corporations to originate in [[Denmark]] and it is said that Zbigniew Libera requested a donation from the [[Lego|LEGO]] Corporation of their popular children’s plastic building blocks<ref>{{Citation |last=Ray |first=Gene |title=Mirroring Evil: Auschwitz, Art and the “War on Terror” |date=2005 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781403979445_5 |work=Terror and the Sublime in Art and Critical Theory |pages=61–72 |place=New York |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan US |isbn=978-1-349-53124-0 |access-date=2022-05-12}}</ref>, to which they agreed to give Libera as part of their efforts towards their community outreach programs in [[Poland]] during the year 1966<ref name=":1" />. At the time of donation, Libera had not yet given a clear definition or vision for his artwork to the [[Lego|LEGO]] Corporation.<ref name=":1" /> However, Libera saw the [[Lego|LEGO]] Corporations’ donation as a means of sponsoring and supporting his artwork yet to be created<ref name=":1" />. After creating [[Nazi concentration camps|Nazi concentration camp]] models out of the plastic [[Lego|LEGO]] building blocks, Zbigniew Libera then photographed the models and cut each photograph up into puzzle pieces and put them into boxes that closely resembled real [[Lego|LEGO]] box kits designed for children and sold in toy stores.<ref name=":1" /> The models, photographs, [[Lego|LEGO]]-like packaging, and the cut-up photographs/puzzle pieces have since been purchased for large amounts of up to $7,200 and displayed by museums and art galleries all over the world<ref name=":1" />. Zbigniew Libera’s work also inspired the [[Jewish Museum (Manhattan)|Jewish Museum]] in New York to host their ‘Mirroring Evil: [[Nazism|Nazi]] Imagery / Recent Art’ exhibition in 2002 <ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Museum of Modern Art Warsaw |first=Museum of Modern Art Warsaw |date=11th May 2022 |title=Zbigniew Libera |url=https://artmuseum.pl/en/kolekcja/praca/libera-zbigniew-lego-oboz-koncentracyjny |url-status=live |access-date=11th May 2022}}</ref>.  ‘[[Lego|LEGO]] [[Concentration Camp|Concentration Camp’]] is currently owned and displayed by the [[Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw|Museum of Modern Art]] in Warsaw<ref name=":4" />.

== Criticisms & Lego Concentration Camp Controversy ==
Zbigniew Libera’s’ ‘[[Lego|LEGO]] [[Concentration Camp]]’ attracted much controversy and criticism mostly due to the [[Lego|LEGO]] Corporations identity as a respected company dedicated to creating a product that engages children and expands their imagination and fine motor skills <ref name=":1" />. Zbigniew Libera was criticised by the Curator of the ‘[[Polish pavilion|Polish Pavilion]]’ and famous sculptor, Jan Stanislaw, for the inappropriate use of a popular children’s toy<ref name=":1" />. Further criticism of Zbigniew Libera came from the [[Lego|LEGO]] Corporation itself, whereby they claimed to believe that Libera intentionally created ‘[[Lego|LEGO]] [[Concentration Camp]]’ with their building blocks with the intention of being the centre of debate and attention<ref name=":1" />. The [[Lego|LEGO]] Corporation also claimed they were unaware of Zbigniew Libera’s artistic intentions when they provided him with the building blocks, and that if they were aware that Libera wanted to create models of [[The Holocaust|holocaust]] [[concentration camps]], they would not have proceeded with the sponsorship<ref name=":1" />.

== Zbigniew Libera's Stance on the Lego Camp Controversy ==
Despite such controversy, Zbigniew Libera has made consistent attempts to combat such criticism, and has claimed that it was never his intention to create [[concentration camp]] models for the purpose of providing them to children as a plaything<ref name=":1" />. Zbigniew Libera has made clear that his intention was artistic only and that ‘[[Lego|LEGO]] [[Concentration Camp]]’ was not created as a product to be sold in children’s’ toy stores<ref name=":1" />. Zbigniew Libera has also claimed that the meaning behind the artwork was to highlight the contrast between the horrors of the real world, and the perfect world that is presented to children<ref name=":1" />.

== Famous Works ==
Zbigniew Libera’s rise to fame as an artist began in the 1980’s in [[Europe]] when he released a series of video’s beginning with ‘Intimate Rites’ (1984), followed by ‘How to Train Little Girls’ (1987), and ‘Mystical Perseverance’ (1984-1990)<ref name=":2" />. These videos became popular in [[Europe]] as a result of the controversial topic Zbigniew Libera based them on; [[Hospital|hospitals]] and death<ref name=":2" />.


Zbigniew also released his work named ‘Kens Aunt’ in 1995 which consisted of twenty-five copies of a [[Barbie|Barbie Doll]] box-like packaging design and [[bubble wrap]]<ref name=":2" />. ‘Kens Aunt’ was purchased and displayed by the [[Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago|Museum of Contemporary Art]] in Chicago<ref name=":2" />.


Similarly, to ‘Kens Aunt’, Zbigniew Libera also created another four-box set named ‘Eroica’ which featured tiny female figures based on models of [[Slavery|slaves]]<ref name=":2" />.


Zbigniew Libera also created a series of photographs named ‘Positives’ (2002-2003), which include photos of [[German soldier|German soldiers]] destructing a barrier placed on the border of [[Poland]] and [[Gdańsk|Gdansk]] in 1939, a [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] girl escaping [[Trảng Bàng|Trang Bang]] during the [[Vietnam War]] in the year of 1972, and [[Prisoner of war|prisoners]] of a liberated [[concentration camp]]<ref name=":0" />.




==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}






==External links==
==External links==

Revision as of 02:38, 12 May 2022

Zbigniew Libera
Born (1959-07-07) 7 July 1959 (age 64)
Pabianice, Poland
NationalityPolish

Zbigniew Libera (born 7 July 1959) is a Polish artist, Born in Pabianice, Poland. Zbigniew Libera is best known for his controversial artwork named LEGO Concentration Camp that he designed in 1996.[1] The LEGO Corporation sponsored Libera's work by providing him with the LEGO bricks, however, they later threatened to take legal action against Libera for the controversial work he created using the bricks.[2]

The Jewish Museum in New York City exhibited these sets in 2002[3] as part of a show entitled Mirroring Evil: Nazi Imagery/Recent Art. Critics accused Libera of trivialising the Holocaust in his 'LEGO Concentration Camp' artwork. Defenders argue, however, that the LEGO sets mirror the evil-minded ingenuity required to construct the concentration camps as instruments of terror. Art historical criticism, like that proposed by Ernst van Alphen, has argued that the toys seek to represent and refigure the Holocaust in a more familiar register that recovers its meaning from overbearing Holocaust education programs. Art historian Norman Kleeblatt proposes a similar reading, understanding the works as a study into the Foucauldian biopower of concentration camps.

Zbigniew Libera is also famous for his photography artworks such as his series labeled 'Pozytywy' (translates to 'Positives').[4] This series features Libera's photographs that captured humans living in war and war-torn cities.

Life and Background

Zbigniew Libera, born (1959) in Pabianice, Poland, is a polish artist best known for his artwork titled ‘LEGO Concentration Camp’[5]. Zbigniew Libera’s artworks are considered to fall under the styles of ‘pop art’ and ‘critical art’, and have been frequently used his works to comment on political and social issues[6][7]. Zbigniew Libera spent his early years in Poland and studied at the Copernicus University in the polish city of Torun[6]. Libera began his career as an artist in the mid-1980’s, working with an avant-garde group known as “Sternenhoch”[6]. Amongst the “Sternenhoch” group were artists such as Andrezej Partum and Zofia Kulik[6]. Zbigniew Libera is now considered to be one of the most renowned Polish artists to date[7]. Zbigniew Libera’s most famous artwork is his ‘LEGO Concentration Camp’, created in 1966, which attracted much attention because of the controversy it caused, including the LEGO Corporation threatening to take legal action[5]. Zbigniew Libera has created several other photography artworks and videos, including La Vue 2004 - 2006[8], Intimates Rites 1984[6] and Positives 2002 - 2003[9].

Lego Concentration Camp

Zbigniew Libera’s most controversial artwork to date named ‘LEGO Concentration Camp’ was created in 1996[5]. LEGO Concentration Camp consists of seven box sets each containing a different perspective of Nazi concentration camps in World War II[6], including human limbs piled on top of each other[5]. The LEGO Corporation is one of the largest corporations to originate in Denmark and it is said that Zbigniew Libera requested a donation from the LEGO Corporation of their popular children’s plastic building blocks[10], to which they agreed to give Libera as part of their efforts towards their community outreach programs in Poland during the year 1966[5]. At the time of donation, Libera had not yet given a clear definition or vision for his artwork to the LEGO Corporation.[5] However, Libera saw the LEGO Corporations’ donation as a means of sponsoring and supporting his artwork yet to be created[5]. After creating Nazi concentration camp models out of the plastic LEGO building blocks, Zbigniew Libera then photographed the models and cut each photograph up into puzzle pieces and put them into boxes that closely resembled real LEGO box kits designed for children and sold in toy stores.[5] The models, photographs, LEGO-like packaging, and the cut-up photographs/puzzle pieces have since been purchased for large amounts of up to $7,200 and displayed by museums and art galleries all over the world[5]. Zbigniew Libera’s work also inspired the Jewish Museum in New York to host their ‘Mirroring Evil: Nazi Imagery / Recent Art’ exhibition in 2002 [11].  ‘LEGO Concentration Camp’ is currently owned and displayed by the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw[11].

Criticisms & Lego Concentration Camp Controversy

Zbigniew Libera’s’ ‘LEGO Concentration Camp’ attracted much controversy and criticism mostly due to the LEGO Corporations identity as a respected company dedicated to creating a product that engages children and expands their imagination and fine motor skills [5]. Zbigniew Libera was criticised by the Curator of the ‘Polish Pavilion’ and famous sculptor, Jan Stanislaw, for the inappropriate use of a popular children’s toy[5]. Further criticism of Zbigniew Libera came from the LEGO Corporation itself, whereby they claimed to believe that Libera intentionally created ‘LEGO Concentration Camp’ with their building blocks with the intention of being the centre of debate and attention[5]. The LEGO Corporation also claimed they were unaware of Zbigniew Libera’s artistic intentions when they provided him with the building blocks, and that if they were aware that Libera wanted to create models of holocaust concentration camps, they would not have proceeded with the sponsorship[5].

Zbigniew Libera's Stance on the Lego Camp Controversy

Despite such controversy, Zbigniew Libera has made consistent attempts to combat such criticism, and has claimed that it was never his intention to create concentration camp models for the purpose of providing them to children as a plaything[5]. Zbigniew Libera has made clear that his intention was artistic only and that ‘LEGO Concentration Camp’ was not created as a product to be sold in children’s’ toy stores[5]. Zbigniew Libera has also claimed that the meaning behind the artwork was to highlight the contrast between the horrors of the real world, and the perfect world that is presented to children[5].

Famous Works

Zbigniew Libera’s rise to fame as an artist began in the 1980’s in Europe when he released a series of video’s beginning with ‘Intimate Rites’ (1984), followed by ‘How to Train Little Girls’ (1987), and ‘Mystical Perseverance’ (1984-1990)[6]. These videos became popular in Europe as a result of the controversial topic Zbigniew Libera based them on; hospitals and death[6].


Zbigniew also released his work named ‘Kens Aunt’ in 1995 which consisted of twenty-five copies of a Barbie Doll box-like packaging design and bubble wrap[6]. ‘Kens Aunt’ was purchased and displayed by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago[6].


Similarly, to ‘Kens Aunt’, Zbigniew Libera also created another four-box set named ‘Eroica’ which featured tiny female figures based on models of slaves[6].


Zbigniew Libera also created a series of photographs named ‘Positives’ (2002-2003), which include photos of German soldiers destructing a barrier placed on the border of Poland and Gdansk in 1939, a Vietnamese girl escaping Trang Bang during the Vietnam War in the year of 1972, and prisoners of a liberated concentration camp[4].


References

  1. ^ "Zbigniew Libera – the man behind the infamous Lego death camp". www.thefirstnews.com. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
  2. ^ "Zbigniew Libera". Culture.pl. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  3. ^ "Warsaw art museum buys Zbigniew Libera's 'Lego' concentration camp". LA Times Blogs - Culture Monster. 2012-01-03. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
  4. ^ a b "Zbigniew Libera". Culture.pl. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Feiner, Richard (1999-01). "How Free Is It? Artistic Expression and New Power Structures in the New Europe". The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society. 28 (4): 278–295. doi:10.1080/10632929909599563. ISSN 1063-2921. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Feinstein, S.C (2000). Zbigniew Libera’s Lego concentration camp: Iconoclasm in conceptual art about the Shoah. Other Voices.
  7. ^ a b Szenajch, Piotr (2020-03-02). "Zbigniew Libera Archive - Registry - Courage – Connecting collections". cultural-opposition.eu. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  8. ^ łukasz, zaremba, (2013-09-04). Mediating Visual Experience: Zbigniew Libera’s Photographic Works and Google Street View Imagery. Journal of Invisible Culture. OCLC 869418142.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "Positives - Zbigniew Libera". Culture.pl. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  10. ^ Ray, Gene (2005), "Mirroring Evil: Auschwitz, Art and the "War on Terror"", Terror and the Sublime in Art and Critical Theory, New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, pp. 61–72, ISBN 978-1-349-53124-0, retrieved 2022-05-12
  11. ^ a b Museum of Modern Art Warsaw, Museum of Modern Art Warsaw (11th May 2022). "Zbigniew Libera". Retrieved 11th May 2022. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= and |date= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)



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