Here is your chance to attend lectures and guided tours, meet curators and collectors, and above all, take in a few remarkable exhibitions. This and hundreds of other attractions await you during this year's Museum Night on Saturday, 20 May. The event brings together over fifty of Poznań's museums and other institutions of education and exhibition organisations. Special attractions are on offer at the Zamek (Castle) Cultural Centre, the Poznań Fotoplastykon, the University of Fine Arts and the Enigma Cipher Centre. Most Museum Night events run from 5 p.m. to midnight. Mark your calendar for this night in May and discover what Poznań's museums have to offer.
With several exhibitions in Poznań, you'll be spoiled for choice and can count on a memorable experience. I highly recommend a visit to the National Museum to view 34 paintings by Jacek Malczewski entitled "I Go into the World and Abide" brought there from the National Art Gallery of Lviv. This collection by Poland's most eminent symbolic painter has been deposited for long-term protection against damage and destruction.
Just a stone's throw away from the National Museum lies the Museum of Applied Arts. There, you will find the exhibition Barbie: The Unknown Faces, which spans over six decades in the "life" of the world's most iconic doll. With its vibrant colours and flawless design, this exhibition will delight visitors of all ages. Don't forget to explore the other displays on view at the Museum of Applied Arts, which are equally as impressive as that on Barbie.
Once you're done in the Old Town, take a walk to Cathedral Island (Ostrów Tumski). There, you can delve into the world of icons at the Archdiocesan Museum. Currently on view are two exhibitions: "Jerzy Nowosielski. Icons and Abstractions" celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of this outstanding painter and draftsman, and "Icon from Lviv. And the Word Became Flesh" featuring 75 icons by artists from the Radruż School of Iconography of the Ukrainian Catholic University of Lviv.
While on Cathedral Island, stop by the Lock Gallery (Galeria Śluza) on the bank of the Cybina River to see their new temporary exhibition "Let's Talk. Chapter I: Explication". Its curators have ambitiously set out to present the philosophy and works of the staff of the Poznań University of Fine Arts. Each piece comes with a description of the artist's technique and inspiration sources. The Lock Gallery will be open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. During this time, you can also check out the main exhibition at Porta Posnania. Before entry, make sure to pick up free tickets available at its box office.
Genius loci Archaeological Reserve will be hosting events centred around the general theme of gold featuring a workshop of a medieval goldsmith and minter. The night promises to be jam-packed with workshops, lectures and guided tours thematically aligned with the temporary exhibition entitled "Early Medieval Gold Ornaments Discovered in a Goldsmith's Workshop in the Poznań Palatium".
I also recommend visiting the Citadel where the Museum of Armaments will hold a military picnic on Museum Night. This is an excellent opportunity to explore the mysterious interiors of the museum, located in the cellars of the former Winiary Fort. You can also view exhibits presented by museum staff, volunteers, and collectors in the outdoor exhibition. The attractions include rides in combat vehicles (every hour on the hour), hand-to-hand combat shows, exhibitions of historical re-enactment groups and military equipment courtesy of private collectors.
For night owls, the Castle area on Święty Marcin Street will be the place to be, with the Zamek Cultural Center, the Poznań Uprising Museum of June 1956, and the Enigma Cipher Centre scheduled to stay open well into the night. The Castle will feature an amazing space exhibition entitled "Not That Sky". From there, you can head to the nearby Poznań Fotoplastykon and Cultural Information Centre for a display and presentation on stereophotography.
The night promises a variety of other events including a screen printing and linocut workshop hosted by the Arsenal Gallery, a nightly tour of Polski Theatre, a visit to the Jesuit Monastery at ul. Dominikańska and ul. Szewska, and a walk down the Royal-Imperial Route named Location, Location, Location! The University of Fine Arts offers a night tour of its premises, a full-scale fashion and theatrical costume show prepared by three studios of the Department of Fashion Design and a mapping show to live music by the band Siema Ziemia.
To learn more on Museum Night events, see the Facebook profiles of each institution. The full programme is available on www.nocmuzeow.poznan.pl. This initiative is coordinated by Estrada Poznańska.
Szymon Mazur
translation: Krzysztof Kotkowski
Poznań Museum Night, 20/21 May, from 5pm/6pm to midnight/1am, free admission to most events
© Wydawnictwo Miejskie Posnania 2023