Formiści w lwowskim środowisku artystycznym (1918–1922)

In November 1917 in Cracow the first exhibition of an avant-garde art group took place; initially they used the name Polish Expressionists, but later changed it in Formists. Several months later Formists presented their works in Lviv, thus initiating the discussion on modern art which was started by a questionnaire in Lvivian Gazeta Wieczorna and titled “Expressionism in visual art” (1918). This interesting idea aptly illustrated the evaluation of new currents in art by the art critic of that day. Simultaneously, it increased the interest in avant-garde art in Lviv, which was mirrored by the following Formists’ exhibitions in 1920 and 1921 that included the works of so-called “Lvivan Formists’ Section: Zofia Vorzimmerówna, Ludwik Lille, Zygmunt Radnicki, and Stanisław Matusiak. The outcome of those presentations were numerous press commentaries as well as extensive monographs on New Art, e.g. by Jan Bołoz-Antoniewicz, a supporter of new trends in art that in turn received negative reviews from Władysław Kozicki, for instance. Such invigoration of artistic life of Lviv resulting from Formists activities was later one of the factors influencing the birth of avant-garde Visual Artists’ Association “artes” (1929-1936) founded by Lille, among others, or the creation of New Generation group as well as Lvivian Professional Association of Visual Artists chaired by Andrzej Pronaszko, who called for staring Modern Art Museum in Lviv.