Author: Rafał Motyl
The most anticipated investment in Warsaw will be opened to the public on October 25. The new building of the Museum of Modern Art has been designed as a space where you can not only view works of art, but also relax and take part in interesting events. This is also another investment changing the center of the capital.
I’m very happy that we can all meet today at the Museum of Modern Art. This is a great day for Warsaw. For at least several reasons. Firstly, because such a place has not existed in the capital for decades. A place that would be built from scratch – just to present Polish art. A place that is spectacular in itself. Secondly, this is an absolutely historic and unique moment for the capital city of Warsaw, also because MSN is part of the New Center of Warsaw project. We are slowly, after decades, managing to demystify this part of the city and we are consistently rebuilding it. Thirdly, it is extremely important – we will have a place at an absolutely world-class level, serving the promotion of Polish culture and Polish modern art, which is very popular. But this place is much more than that. Because MSN will be a meeting place, a place for discussion – said the mayor of Warsaw. Warsaw’s Rafał Trzaskowski at the MSN headquarters the day before the opening of the building.
A historic moment for Warsaw
We are pleased to welcome you to the new building of the Museum of Modern Art. We have been waiting for it for a long time, the construction process was complex, but the most important thing is that we can all be here today. We really want it to be an institution for everyone, open to local artists of the local art scene and – as the President said – animating international exchange. Let it be a place of discussion, where socially important debates can take place, and at the same time a place of education and contemplation of art – said Joanna Mytkowska, director of the museum.
The Museum of Modern Art is the first museum in Warsaw, built after the war as a new place for contemporary art. Other facilities opened in recent years are thematic or narrative museums, such as the Polish History Museum or the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews.
To the current headquarters at ul. Marszałkowska, the museum will move its collections from several other places currently operating. And the MSN collection is not small – it currently numbers over 2,600 objects and is constantly growing. It is devoted to art created in Poland, mainly after 1989, and around the world. There is no other institution in Poland with a collection of this type.
The archival collections of MSN, called the Artists’ Archive, are also unique. These include publications, photographic documentation, artists’ texts, letters and private documents as well as official letters revealing the everyday life of artists such as: Zofia Rydet, Alina Szapoczniokow, Wojciech Fangor, Eustachy Krasiński and Tadeusz Rolke.
Today dreams come true. A dozen or so years ago we had such a dream – we created a program for the development of culture in the capital: Warsaw – a city of culture and citizens. Today, when we open the Museum of Modern Art, I think this is the beginning of this dream coming true. The New Center of Warsaw is a place of culture, full of greenery, open and friendly to residents, said Aldona Machnowska-Góra, deputy mayor of the capital city. Warsaw.
Grand opening
The opening of MSN is scheduled for Friday evening, October 25, at 8:00 p.m. By then, you will be able to find nine works of art by women in the museum building. All artists present their own and innovative approach to painting and sculpture. In the spaces of the new building you can see works by such authors as: Magdalena Abakanowicz, Karolina Jabłońska, Żanna Kadyrowa, Kateryna Łysowenko, Sandra Mujinga, Mariela Scafati, Monika Sosnowska, Alina Szapocznikow and Cecilia Vicuña.
In addition to the display of selected works from the MSN collection, the opening will be accompanied by: performative actions, concerts, lectures and the “Warsaw under construction” festival. The museum publishing house and the cinema, opened for the first time, will prepare their proposals.
The most important events of the weekend will be concerts of world-famous artists from Poland and abroad. Friday’s opening will be the only opportunity to see Katalin Ladik’s performance “White Descent”, which will artistically use the space of the monumental staircase of MSN. A concert of American music icon Kim Gordon will be displayed on the building’s facade.
A work of art by Thomas Phifer
The building of the Museum of Modern Art is the work of the American architect Thomas Phifer, a student of the famous modernist Richard Meier. The shape clearly refers to the modernist urban tradition of this part of Warsaw and fits in with the buildings of the Eastern Wall and the Palace of Culture and Science.
When I came here 10 years ago, I felt this extraordinary, new spirit, which became the beginning of the idea for this place. Many meetings, conversations and signed contracts led to the fact that today we can gather at the Museum of Modern Art. For me, an architect, it is an extraordinary feeling when I look at this building – beautifully made of concrete, wood and stainless steel. Everything here was created by local craftsmen. Knowing how much this building means for Warsaw and Poland makes me proud – recalls Thomas Phifer, the originator and creator of the building.
The MSN building itself has a simple form, built on the plan of two rectangles. It consists of six floors – four above ground and two underground – a total of nearly 20,000 m2. m2 of area, of which 4.5 thousand m2 are exhibition spaces. The whole thing is centered around a monumental, well-lit staircase. It consists of two flights of stairs, which allow you to move freely towards the exhibition spaces located on the upper floors.
Exhibitions will be available in four galleries located on the first and second floors. The two gable galleries are illuminated with natural light diffused by skylights located on the roof. Lower galleries will provide safe exposure for works requiring more stringent lighting conditions. On the floors there are also rooms for rest, casual conversation or educational activities.
The ground floor of the building with entrances from the street also looks interesting. Marszałkowska and from the side of the passage. This is where the completely glazed foyer, auditorium, educational and lecture space, temporary exhibition gallery, shop and cafe are located. All spaces on the ground floor fulfill public functions and are visible from the outside.
On the first underground floor there is a cinema with an auditorium for 150 people, educational space, conservation workshops, warehouses and technical rooms. On the second floor, rooms for storing and conserving works of art and other technical rooms are planned.
The space in front of the museum was planned as a forum – a place for cultural activities, a link between Central Square and Świętokrzyski Park.
The whole thing was built of noble white architectural concrete. MSN is the first building in Poland and the largest in Europe with a suspended concrete facade.
The Warsaw Museum of Modern Art is also the first building in Europe designed by Thomas Phifer, an architect and author of designs for numerous museums around the world, e.g. the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh in North Carolina, the Glenstone Museum in Potomac in Maryland.
More information about MSN’s current activities can be found at: artmuseum.pl.
The Exciting Opening of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
The buzz in Warsaw is palpable as the city prepares for the grand unveiling of the Museum of Modern Art (MSN) on October 25! Now, I know what you’re thinking—can we only *look* at art, or can we also *snack*? Because if I can munch popcorn while pondering the existential message of a giant banana sculpture, count me in!
Finally, a Home for Polish Art
It’s like Warsaw finally found a comfortable spot in its living room to display all the art it’s been hoarding since the end of the war! The new museum isn’t just about setting up a gallery; it’s about providing a space where “spectacular” and “contemplate” filter together—a bit like my Saturday nights, minus the neighbors calling the police.
"I’m very happy that we can all meet today at the Museum of Modern Art…" said Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, sounding like a proud parent showing off his kid’s finger painting.
A Unique Opportunity
Joanna Mytkowska, the museum’s director, hit the nail on the head by stating this should be a meeting point for debate and discussion—presumably, one where you can also disagree politely over who makes the best pierogi and whether Polish vodka really is the world’s greatest gift!
Did Someone Say Collection?
The MSN collection boasts over 2,600 art pieces. Talk about a buffet for the eyes! And let’s not forget the Artists’ Archive—filled with everything from letters to scandalous selfies of famous Polish artists. If my angst-filled teenager ever wants to know how to express their creative side, all they need is an archive like this—“Look, darling, Zofia didn’t just make art; she sent letters too!”
"Today dreams come true… we created a program for the development of culture in the capital: Warsaw – a city of culture and citizens." Aldona Machnowska-Góra may have been over the moon, but let’s be real; she’s been using that line for decades. Who knew dreams were for sale?
Opening Weekend Events – Bring Your Dancing Shoes!
Your opening night plans are sorted! With concerts, performative actions, and lectures galore, it sounds like a hipster’s dream. You can say, “Oh, I’m just popping over to the museum for a festival,” while everyone else struggles to remember what a “museum” is like after the whole pandemic thing.
The Building Itself
Architect Thomas Phifer designed this modern marvel, apparently sculpting it like a piece of art itself, which means we’ll eventually just end up with another Instagram hotspot. “Look at me in front of a wall that was FROM the wall, literally!” Yes, that’s exactly what I’m here for.
"Knowing how much this building means for Warsaw and Poland makes me proud," Phifer remarked. And isn’t that the best compliment to get for your structural baby?
Final Thoughts for the Grand Event
So, whether you’re an art aficionado or someone who simply enjoys the business of being seen at cultural events, the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw is set to become a cornerstone of Polish art and modern life. Make sure you grab a snack and enjoy the view—just remember to pretend you’re deep in thought when that famous artist walks by!
More About the Museum
For more information about the Museum of Modern Art and its activities, check out their official site: artmuseum.pl.
