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An Impossible Journey: The Art and Theatre of Tadeuz Kantor

Melvin was invited to curate the 120 item archival section of the first major exhibition of Kantor’s work in the UK for over thirty years at Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts (SCVA), 2 June – 30 August 2009. The exhibition resulted from a collaboration between Melvin, SCVA, Cricoteka – Centre for Kantor Documentation Kracow, the Polish Cultural Centre, London and the Adam Miekewitz Institute Warsaw, Poland. The publication ‘Kantor Was Here’, Black Dog, 2010, with contributions by Melvin, was developed from the conference held during the SCVA exhibition in 2009. The exhibition and book used Melvin’s research from archival material & the interviews she conducted in Poland and the UK.

Melvin was invited by SCVA to explore the correlation between East European conceptual artists and Western artists for the exhibition. The invitation resulted from her curation of the exhibition ‘Tales from Studio International’ at Tate Britain (9 June – 10 August 2008) and research for the Kantor exhibition was supported by funding for a visit to Poland from the Adam Miekewitz Institute Warsaw. Melvin contributed a critical essay ‘The Living Archive, the Death of Rubbish and the Aesthetics of the Dustbin’ to ‘Kantor Was Here’ (pages 148-157) together with two photographic commentaries: ‘’Kantor in Edinburgh' in the photographs of Ian Knox' (pages 44–50) and 'Kantor in London from David Gothard’s archives' (pages 88-98). Other contributors to the publication included Sandy Nairne, Richard Demarco, David Gothard, Sarah Wilson and Amanda Geitner. This output draws on Melvin’s research on Kantor’s presence in the UK, on the exhibition ‘Tadeusz Kantor: Emballages 1960-76’ at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1976, Kantor’s Riverside Studio performances the 1970s and ‘80s and his performances & exhibitions in Scotland with the assistance of Richard Demarco at the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe Festival.