Praesens (architecture)
The Polish architects and artists group Praesens existed between 1926 and 1930 and was based in Warsaw . The group was founded by members of the former Blok artist group and by graduates from the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology .
The group members were united by their commitment to Polish constructivism , a form of the European avant-garde . Belief in progress, discipline and functionalism in architecture merged into a break with the traditional understanding of architecture and art. Modern forms of production in the building industry, thereby possible standardization and cheaper production, should be the basis for the creation of inexpensive living space for middle and lower social classes. With their ideas, the Praesens architects approached the ideas of Bauhaus , De Stijl and Wchutemas architects at the time.
The head of the group was Szymon Syrkus , his wife Helena Syrkusowa headed the office. Many of the ideas of the Praesens proponents flowed into real estate projects (e.g. for Warszawska Spółdzielnia Mieszkaniowa , WSM for short) by the Syrkus couple. In 1928 Praesens became the Polish national group the Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne (CIAM).
Group members
- Barbara Brukalska-Sokołowska (1899–1980), architect
- Stanisław Brukalski (1894–1967), architect
- Karol Kryński (1900–1944), painter
- Jan Golus (1895–1964), stage designer
- Witold Kajruksztis (1890–1961), painter
- Katarzyna Kobro-Strzemińska (1898–1951), sculptor
- Bohdan Lachert (1900–1987), architect
- Marian Jerzy Malicki (1895–1946), painter
- Józef Malinowski , architect
- Maria Łucja Nicz-Borowiakowa (1896–1944), painter
- Roman Piotrowski (1895–1988), architect
- Andrzej Pronaszko (1888–1961), painter
- Aleksander Rafałowski (1894–1980), painter
- Henryk Stażewski (1894–1988), painter
- Władysław Strzemiński (1893–1952), painter
- Szymon Syrkus (1893–1964), architect
- Helena Syrkusowa (1900–1982), architect
- Józef Szanajca (1902–1939), architect
- Rudolf Świerczyński (1883–1943), architect
- Stanisław Zalewski (1896–1958), painter and graphic artist
A follow-up organization from 1931 was the group AR ("Artyści Rewolucyjni" or "Awangarda Rzeczywista") with the following members:
- Władysław Strzemiński (1893–1952), painter and teacher
- Katarzyna Kobro-Strzemińska (1898–1951), sculptor
- Henryk Stażewski (1894–1988), painter
- Julian Przyboś (1901–1970), poet
- Karol Hiller (1891–1939), painter and graphic artist
Individual evidence
- ↑ according to Article on fine arts at the Polish Institute in Vienna (accessed October 24, 2011)
- ↑ according to Martin Kohlrausch, CIAM and the internationalization of architecture. The example of Poland at: European History Topic Portal , 2007 (accessed on October 24, 2011)