As part of the Open Museum programme run by the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, the Civic Forum for Contemporary Art (OFSW) is organising an event consisting of two parts:

Thursday, 11 December 2025
Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
Auditorium

18:00–19:30

Few Large, or Many Small? A Debate on the Merging of Art Institutions

In recent months, the Polish art community has been engaged in an intense discussion concerning plans to merge existing institutions into larger organisational structures. As this issue affects nearly all stakeholders within the field of art in Poland and has provoked strong emotions, it calls for a public conversation in a broader forum.

In response, the Civic Forum for Contemporary Art is organising a debate dedicated to the question of merging smaller art institutions into larger entities. The invited speakers will discuss various aspects of institutional activity, organisational, financial, substantive, and programmatic, that may be shaped by either the division or consolidation of organisations. They will also examine the characteristics and impact of both models – many small institutions versus a few large ones – on the artistic landscape of a given city.

The debate, moderated by Piotr Kosiewski and Antoni Burzyński, will feature Małgorzata Ludwisiak, Justyna Teodorczyk, and Dorota Walentynowicz.

19:30–20:00

Presentation of the Artystx Portal

The Civic Forum for Contemporary Art is currently developing a portal dedicated to artists working in Poland. Artystx gathers and presents knowledge and resources essential for artists’ everyday practice, while also addressing issues related to artists’ rights. These include, among others: how to sign a contract and what its terms should be, where to find information about scholarships and grants, how copyright law operates within the visual arts, and how contemporary artists’ organisations have emerged in Poland. Representatives of OFSW will present the concept and objectives of the Artystx Portal.

The Artystx Portal is developed as part of the project “Artystx Portal”, co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund – a state special-purpose fund.

Illustration: Dorota Walentynowicz, Untitled