STARAK FAMILY FOUNDATION

The Starak Family Foundation began its activity in December 2008. The Foundation’s main objective is to support and promote young, talented people, to create optimal conditions for their development, to help them fulfil their dreams and ideas.

Anna Woźniak-Starak is an admirer of historical objects and Polish art of the XIX and the second half of the XX century. For 22 years now, she has been the owner of the Belvedere Restaurant, located in the building of Nowa Oranżeria in Łazienki Królewskie Museum in Warsaw. In 2015, following her invitation, Vera Lehndorff and Holger Trülzsch’s exhibition “Behind the Appearances” took place in Warsaw.

This was the most extensive presentation of their works ever. The exhibition featured the best photographs off three cycles, taken by the duo in the 1970s and 1980s: “Mimicry-Dress-Art” (1970–1973), “Ocidations” (1978) and “Prato/Sirius” (1985–1988).

Vera Lehndorff is a famous model of German descent, known as Veruschka. Her international career started in the early 1960s in Florence. Soon she became the world’s first supermodel — the term was coined for her specifically. She made her first artistic attempts beside Salvador Dali, whom she assisted during a sculpture performance in 1963. In 1966, she appeared on the big screen in Antonioni’s ‘Blow-up’, in the famous photo session scene, where she played herself. In the early 1970s, she teamed up with Holger Trülzsch, giving up her modelling career and focusing on visual arts.

SZUSTOW. KULTURA I KOMUNIKACJA  covered media relations of Vera Lehndorff (Veruschka) and Holger Trülzsch’s exhibition “Behind the Appearances” and edited and produced the accompanying catalogue for the exhibition.

Curator: Gorgio Pace

Exhibition design: Boris Kudlička

Cooperation period: May–October 2014.