This work is modeled after tiered shoe stands that were commonly found at the Jarmark Europa, a large open-air bazaar once located in the center of Warsaw. Opened in 1989 on the grounds of a dilapidated sports stadium, the bustling market offered cheap, often counterfeit goods in stalls and on stands. At night, the stalls were shuttered and the stands were turned on their sides and tucked away. In this “dormant” state, they reminded Sosnowska of abstract sculptures. She employed metal workers to create a one-to-one replica of a shoe stand and then hammer its surface, significantly distorting the structure. As a shoe stand, this object is functionless; as a sculpture, it asks us to consider the vitality of the medium.

Gallery label from

2019

Medium Steel and lacquer
Dimensions 78 3/4 x 76 3/4 x 76 3/4" (200 x 194.9 x 194.9 cm)
Credit Gift of the Speyer Family Foundation
Object number 1186.2012
Department Painting & Sculpture

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