Jan Švankmajer’s Kunstkammer: Every thing means everything

• Authors: Anna Maria Brzezińska
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Thesis. Jan Švankmajer’s Kunstkammer is a project with a complex constellation of meaning that defies clear-cut categorization in the context of Pomian’s theory of semiophores.  Discussed concepts. The paper describes the kunstkammer art project created by Jan Švankmajer, a Czech surrealist, in the context of Pomian’s theory of semiophores and compares it to traditional and historical equivalents, using the concepts of micro- and macrocosm, the world as a stage (Theatrum Mundi), hermeticism, and alchemy.  Results and conclusion. Jana Švankmajer’s Kunstkammer should be analyzed primarily in the individual and subjective context, rather than in the social one.   Originality/cognitive value of the approach. Pomian has described many examples of traditional kunstkammers, but there are also several modern collections that have not yet been described in the literature.  

Keywords

EN

Jan Švankmajer; kunstkammer; surrealism; Krzysztof Pomian; semiophores; cabinet of curiosities

• Publisher: Fundacja Pro Scientia Publica
• Journal: Journal of Education Culture and Society
• Year: 2020
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 343-352

Dates

published

2020-09-11

Contributors

author

Anna Maria Brzezińska

• Anna Brzezińska-Winkiel Faculty of Philology, University of Wrocław, ul. Pocztowa 9, 53-313 Wrocław, Poland

References

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• Švankmajer, J. (2014). Naturalia. https://www.artmap.cz/jan-svankmajer-naturalia/

Identifiers

DOI

10.15503/jecs2020.2.343.352