One hundred icons of Polish design in Bucharest

How to showcase 100 years of Polish design while limiting it to 100 objects? How to select what is most important without succumbing to the temptation of only showing icons? How to present the diversity of fields that design encompasses? The Adam Mickiewicz Institute, curator Ewa Solarz, and a group of collaborating illustrators took on this challenge and prepared an exhibition that is a journey through a century of Polish design. Thanks to collaboration with the Polish Institute in Bucharest, the exhibition “The Primer of Polish Design” can be seen this spring in the capital of Romania during the country’s most important design event—Romanian Design Week. It will be the largest foreign exhibition accompanying the event this year.

The exhibition opening will take place on Saturday, May 19, at 5:00 PM at NOD Makerspace / Mater (Splaiul Unirii 160). Immediately after, there will be a concert by Dominik Strycharski, a Polish musician, composer, and performer who creates contemporary jazz in its many eclectic forms, as well as contemporary music, post-hip-hop, noise, and music for theatrical performances. The concert will begin at 6:00 PM in the same building at Deschis GastroBar.

Among the 100 Polish projects presented in Bucharest, alongside furniture, glass, and porcelain—items commonly associated with design—there are less obvious things: children’s toys, a locomotive, neon lights, a glider, a scooter, typefaces, logos, and even the tastiest Polish delicacy, Ptasie Mleczko, and a rubber ring, Ringo—a Polish sports game. Both contemporary projects and those recognized as classics are displayed. Unique items bordering on singular works of art, prototypes that never went into mass production, as well as very popular items used daily by Poles over the last 100 years are included.

The exhibition, previously presented in Berlin and Budapest, connects the past with the present, showcasing the achievements of Polish design through the accomplishments of contemporary Polish graphic design. “The Primer of Polish Design” also features 100 works by Polish designers interpreted by twenty-five Polish illustrators—artists with very different backgrounds: experienced masters of the Polish school of illustration, illustrators from the younger and middle generations who are winning awards worldwide today, and even very young artists who have just graduated. Most of the invited graphic artists illustrate children’s books while also engaging in a broad spectrum of visual communication. They showcase various styles and techniques, all united by immense talent.

The exhibition is not only about 100 iconic objects and 100 artistic interpretations; it also tells 100 stories: about designers, about needs, about dreams, about possibilities, and about limitations. The chronological presentation of projects demonstrates that in the 100-year history of Polish design, certain materials, themes, and forms recur, taking on new faces. The exhibition is aimed at a wide audience, including the youngest generation.

“The Primer of Polish Design” can be viewed from May 18 to 27 at NOD Makerspace / Mater (Splaiul Unirii 160) in Bucharest.

Accompanying Events Calendar:

• May 19 (Saturday), 5:00 PM – Opening
• May 19 (Saturday), 6:00 PM, DESCHIS Gastrobar (Splaiul Unirii 160) – Concert by Dominik Strycharski (Doministry)

Dominik Strycharski is a Polish composer, vocalist, and performer. He creates contemporary music in various forms, from electronic and acoustic jazz to electronic music, post-hip-hop, and improvisation. He also composes music for theatrical performances.

• May 23 (Wednesday), 7:00 PM, NOD Makerspace / MATER (Splaiul Unirii 160) – “Icons of Romanian Design” – Prof. Radu Comșa, designer and lecturer at the Bucharest Academy of Fine Arts UNARTE, will discuss which projects have been milestones in Romanian design over the last hundred years and which creators have made their mark in history. His presentation will relate to the Polish objects, projects, and prototypes presented in the exhibition “The Primer of Polish Design.”

• May 26 (Saturday), 4:00 PM and 5:30 PM, NOD Makerspace / MATER (Splaiul Unirii 160) – Curatorial guided tour of the exhibition “The Primer of Polish Design.”

Ewa Solarz, the exhibition curator, has recently been recognized as one of the most influential women in Polish design. She is also the author of remarkable publications on design for adults and children, including the book “D.E.S.I.G.N.” and “The Illustrated Primer of Design.” In Bucharest, she will guide visitors through her exhibition.

• May 27 (Sunday), 4:00 PM, NOD Makerspace / MATER (Splaiul Unirii 160) – Illustrative workshops for children.

Award-winning Polish illustrators Agata Dudek and Małgorzata Nowak from Acapulco Studio will show children how illustrations for books are created and talk about their work. Both graduated from the Graphic Arts Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and also designed the visual identity for the exhibition “The Primer of Polish Design.”

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The exhibition was organized by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part of POLSKA 100, an international cultural program accompanying the centenary of Poland’s regaining independence. The POLSKA 100 program is funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage within the multiannual program NIEPODLEGŁA 2017-2021. More information about Polish culture worldwide can be found at www.culture.pl.

Organizer: Adam Mickiewicz Institute
Co-organizer: Polish Institute in Bucharest, Regional Museum in Stalowa Wola
Partners: Romanian Design Week, NOD Makerspace
Curator: Ewa Solarz
Illustrators: Jacek Ambrożewski, Edgar Bąk, Maciek Blaźniak, Katarzyna Bogucka, Ada Buchholc, Iwona Chmielewska, Robert Czajka, Agata Dudek, Emilia Dziubak, Małgorzata Gurowska, Monika Hanulak, Marta Ignerska, Tymek Jezierski, Paweł Jońca, Agata Królak, Grażka Lange, Patryk Mogilnicki, Piotr Młodożeniec, Ania Niemierko, Ola Niepsuj, Marianna Oklejak, Paweł Pawlak, Dawid Ryski, Marianna Sztyma, Ola Woldańska-Płocińska.

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