Interactive map of the life and works of Wojciech Fangor by Maciej Harland

"Constellations" is a research project, inaugurated in 2024 by the FANGOR Foundation, in the form of an interactive Map visualising the chronology of life and artistic activity of Polish spatial and Op Art artist Wojciech Fangor (1922 to 2015). It is based on the combination of geo-referred data related to the artist’s places of residence and work, as well as an extensive network of social relationships, acquaintances, collaborations, exhibitions and projects. The Map offers two perspectives on Fangor’s life: a macro perspective – highlighting major areas of intensity of artistic activity, and a micro perspective – focusing on individual connections with people and institutions. Some point (marked with and asterisks [*]) are linked to descriptive cards with additional information and connections to the artist's Catalogue Raisonné and external sources, such as the Wojciech Fangor Archive at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw.

The Map is a dynamic, interactive system that allows users to search and filter points by time – using the timeline – and by typology, through a list of relationships such as: education, scholarships, teaching, artworks, collaborations, contacts, art professionals, exhibitions, knowledge and chronology. Each person or institution is identified on the map with an assigned main color code. For better accessibility, site is built in two languages: Polish (original) and English. Additionally all interactive elements of the Map can be controlled with keyboard shortcuts.

Published on the Foundation website, the Map combines data from multiple sources – from chronological facts of Fangor's life to detailed information complied from materials from artist's private archive. It provides an innovative tool for researchers and lovers of Fangor's art by showing for the first time his life and work in such a broad historical context. A flexible data source in the form of syncable excel sheets allows, according to the standards of scalable information systems, for the introduction of new descriptions, points, relations and locations in real time in further stages of the development of the research project.