Piotr Kowalski

 

Piotr Kowalski is born in Lvov, Poland (now Ukraine), on March 2nd 1927.

Studies science and architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA, from 1947 to 1952.

Lives in Paris since 1953, and becomes a French national in 1971.

Works as an architect from 1952 to 1957 : in New York with I.M. Pei, and in Paris with Marcel Breuer, Jean Prouvé, and in his own office.

From 1957 leaves the architectural practice and works as et sculptor. Starts this work with taking out a patent and founding a company for mechanically produced art. Shows this production for the first time in 1961 in the Galerie des Beaux Arts, Paris, and at Antiprocès 3, Galeria Bréra, Milano.

 

Participates in, or holds one or several major Museum Art shows at :

• The Guggenheim Museum, New York
• Kunsthalle, Bern
• Kunsthaus, Zurich
• Museum of Modern Art, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Musée d'Art Moderne, Paris
• Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
• Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris
• Musée Galliéra, Paris
• Modema Museet, Stockholm
• Modema Museet i Konsthall, Lund, Sweden
• Amos Anderson Museum, Helsinki
• Ateneum Museum, Helsinki
• Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
• Louisiana Museum, Copenhagen
• Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels
• Hayward Gallery, London
• Venice Biennale
• Kunstverein, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Karlsruhe, Cologne, Kunsthalle, Baden-Baden, Akademie der Kunst, Berlin, etc.
• Documenta, Kassel
• 20th Century Museum, Vienna
• Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
• Hara Museum, Tokyo
• Seoul Gallery, Seoul
• Artec '89, Nagoya
• Lyon Biennale
• Kunsthalle, Bonn
• Mito Art Tower, Japan

 

Collaborates, and is or was represented by the following galleries:

• Galerie Claude Givaudan, Paris and Geneva
• Galerie Eric Fabre, Paris
• René Block Gallery, Berlin
• Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York

 

Receives awards, fellowships or distinctions from:

• The Guggenheim Foundation, USA
• The Rockefeller Foundation, USA
• The Graham Foundation, USA
• Deutsche Akadamische Austausch Dienst (D.A.A.D.), Berlin
• The French Ministry of Culture: Grand Prix National de la Sculpture in 1981; in 1985 is named Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres; and in 1990 Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite.

 

Builds, or makes plans for a number of urban monumental sites and sculptures in Paris-La-Défense, greater Paris, elsewhere in France, many European countries, the USA, and Japan.

His work can be seen in both major private and public collections in Europe, USA, Japan and Korea.

From 1978 to 1985 was artist in residence and fellow of the Center for Advanced Visual Studies at M.I.T., Cambridge, USA.

From 1980 to 1985 sat on the M.I.T. Visiting Art Committee.

In 1987 is nominated professor at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts in Paris where he founds and holds a multimedia studio until 1992.

Since 1994 sits on the M.I.T. Advisory Council on Art and Technology.