Forgotten Pioneers of Media Art: Laboratory of Presentation Techniques

Abstract

In the mid-1970s the group Laboratory of Presentation Techniques (LPT) was active at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice. The artists conducted experiments and formal searches, exploring the potential of film, performance, and a new medium: video. LPT was the first in Silesia, the second in Poland, and one of the first artistic groups in Europe dealing with video art. Looking at the artistic path of Grzegorz G. Zgraja, the last of the artists, as well as Jadwiga and Jacek Singer’s works, the paper analyzes the most pivotal artistic achievements of the group. Based on the interviews and archival research, the author reconstructs LPT’s artistic contribution to European media art and the reasons these pioneers of media art were forgotten.