Idols of Perversity by Zofia de Ines

What is the purpose of costumes in theatre, art and life? Drawing on the work of costume designer Zofia de Ines and Wojciech Misiuro’s Theatre of Expression, the Theatre Department invites you to a discussion about the body, identity and expression.

The Theatre Department was established in 1976 on the initiative of set designers who sought to create a space to showcase their work. It is one of several institutions in Poland that document the history of Polish theatre, and it is the only theatre department within the National Museum. The department collects objects that enable the recreation of ephemeral theatrical works, including set and costume designs, scale models, theatre programmes, posters, playbills and photographs, as well as costumes and puppets. To date, the department has organised over 60 exhibitions dedicated to outstanding figures in Polish theatre, including Konrad Swinarski, Marian Kołodziej and Andrzej Wajda, as well as distinguished theatre artists from Pomerania, such as Ali Bunsch, Jadwiga Pożakowska and Tadeusz Link.

Building on these traditions to celebrate the 50th anniversary, Theatre Department curators Wiktoria Formella and Kacper Nadolski, in collaboration with set designer Przemysław Klonowski, have curated an exhibition inspired by the work of Zofia de Ines and Wojciech Misiuro’s Theatre of Expression. It explores cross-dressing in theatre and art. The exhibition features a confrontational display of Zofia de Ines’s costumes alongside works by contemporary artists representing various approaches to corporeality, drag, and self-creation. Examining camp and queer art dealing with the body and its ideals, the exhibition encourages reflection on the social and artistic role of costume.

Zofia de Ines began her career as a costume designer a year before the Theatre Department was established. Her debut project was designing the costumes for Tadeusz Różewicz’s White Marriage, which was directed by Kazimierz Braun at the Współczesny Theatre in Wrocław. Even then, her characteristic sophistication and richness of form were evident. Drawing inspiration from fashion and the history of clothing, she created her own interpretations of the characters, employing stylisation and the deconstruction of cuts. In 1991, she created the production Idols of Perversity for the Theatre of Expression, founded in Gdańsk by choreographer and dancer Wojciech Misiuro – a stage spectacle situated somewhere between a theatrical performance and a performative fashion show.

‘For his theatre, Misiuro selected men with athletic, well-built physiques that matched the ancient ideal of beauty depicted in classical Greek sculpture. Their musculature came to life on stage, and their near-naked, perfect bodies helped to establish the cult of physicality that is so characteristic of the Theatre of Expression,’ explains curator Kacper Nadolski. ‘For Idols of Perversity, de Inés’s old costumes were retrieved from storage and stripped of their original context. When the Theatre of Expression actors wore them, they did not simply re-enact their former roles, but imbued the costumes with new meanings. In many scenes, men appeared in women’s clothing and women in men’s. Cross-dressing was not intended to provoke, but to challenge gender stereotypes. In a manner typical of the Theatre of Expression, the production exploited the physicality of the actors and actresses by subjecting them to grotesque eroticisation. The costumes made the dancers’ bodies objects of desire on stage, and were designed to encourage sexual transgression. The collaboration between Misiuro and de Inés opened an interesting chapter in theatre history by paving the way for a new approach to exposing the body, and by giving costumes a new role in creating meaning.’

Idols of Perversity was acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, leading to performances across Poland. Excerpts from the production were selected and staged as performance pieces, adding lustre to artistic events of the time such as the ‘Ball on the Ruins’, the first ball ever held at the Sfinks in Sopot in 1991.

Alongside Zofia de Ines’ costumes, the exhibition will feature works by contemporary artists from the National Museum in Gdańsk’s collection and other sources. Visitors will be able to see photographs by Ewa Grabowska, Stefan Okołowicz, Marek Gardulski and Wojciech Plewiński, as well as a video by Katarzyna Kozyra, paintings by Karol Radziszewski and Sasa Lubińska, and sculptures by Swietlana Zerling, Maria Teresa Kuczyńska, Katarzyna Lipecka and Anna Strzelczyk. There will also be an olfactory object created by Magdalena Beyer.

‘We hope that the exhibition will appeal to not only those involved in theatre, dance and the performing arts, but also designers, critics and fashion enthusiasts. Another important audience will be those involved in queer culture and the LGBT+ community, for whom themes such as cross-dressing, drag, body fluidity and gender performativity hold particular significance,’ says curator Wiktoria Formella.

Please be advised that some of the artworks on display may feature content that is not suitable for children, young people, or highly sensitive people.