Zachęta

Zachęta – is a solemn gallery built in 1900 and dedicated to modern and contemporary Polish art. Since its foundation in 1860 the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts has had the job of promoting fine art in Poland. In its early years some of the nation’s most celebrated painters like Jan Matejko and Wojciech Gerson staged exhibitions Zachęta. And in the same vein, it remains a shortcut to Poland’s art scene via temporary exhibitions for up-and-coming talent and established names like Katarzyna Kozyra and Krzysztof Wodiczko. In the permanent collection are pieces by leading post-war artists like the painter and set-designer Tadeusz Kantor and the Surrealist Jewish sculptor Alina Szapocznikow.