From Warsaw to Gdańsk. Małgorzata Ludwisiak Chief Curator, Department of Modern Art, National Museum in Gdansk

21 September 2021

z22747233V,Malgorzata-Ludwisiak--zostala-Glowna-Kuratorka-Szt.jpg
Małgorzata Ludwisiak, became the Chief Curator of Modern Art at the National Museum in Gdańsk (DAWID ŻUCHOWICZ)

Written by Małgorzata Muraszko published originally by Wyborcza.pl, 19 September 2021.

Lovers of contemporary art, not only in Gdańsk, but also in Poland, are waiting impatiently for this day. In just over a month, on October 22, six years after signing the letter of intent , NOMUS - the New Museum of Art in Gdańsk will open . This facility is one of the branches of the National Museum in Gdańsk.  

Małgorzata Ludwisiak as the Chief Curator, Department of Modern Art, National Museum in Gdansk

The director of the institution, Jacek Friedrich, reorganized it. As part of it, all branches of the National Museum dealing with modern and contemporary art - the Contemporary Art Department at the Abbots' Palace, NOMUS and the Gdańsk Gallery of Photography in the Green Gate - were merged into a multi-building Modern Art Department. The competition for the main curator of the Modern Art Departments was won by Małgorzata Ludwisiak, who took up the position on September 1.  

She is a director and curator appreciated in Poland and in the world. She was the director of the Łódź Biennale 2006, she created the first festival of design and architecture in Poland - Łódź Design, she worked as the deputy director of the Museum of Art in Łódź. In 2014-2019, she headed the Center for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw (the position was replaced by Piotr Bernatowicz, who was associated with the right by Piotr Gliński) . From 2020, Małgorzata Ludwisiak is a member of the board of the CIMAM global association of museums of modern and contemporary art (before her, this position was held by only two Poles - Ryszard Stanisławski and Jarosław Suchan). 

Also read: It was Glinski who did not want her. Outgoing head of the Center for Contemporary Art: I am not a mafia woman

Teams of three departments, as well as content-related and program-related issues, as well as organizational, are responsible for the post of chief curator. - It is a very large and important project. I will gradually introduce changes, but now the priority is to prepare for the opening of NOMUS - he says in an interview with "Wyborcza Trójmiasto".   

A celebration of modern art

But Ludwisiak had been associated with the National Museum and NOMUS before, supporting the work of the management and Aneta Szyłak, Head of NOMUS and curator of the opening program, in the preparatory work.  

"We want a large, public opening that will be fully used by the local public. That is why we decided to open NOMUS independently of the CIMAM conference [will be held in Łódź and Gdańsk on November 5-7, ed. red]. This is a significant event on a national scale. The more so because recently museums related to contemporary art are collapsing rather than developing, Gdańsk is unique in this sense." says Ludwisiak "The opening of NOMUS arouses the great interest of the Polish culture and art community even more. That is why we want to make the inauguration a local celebration. We are preparing a rich program for all kinds of audiences."   

Also read: NOMUS presents part of its collection

Audiences and viewers will be able to see the permanent exhibition presenting the works of artists largely from Gdańsk. There will be discussions, curatorial tours and performances. The opening is scheduled for the penultimate weekend of October, October 22-24.  

Conference in November

Two weeks later, Gdańsk will host an international group of representatives of the world of contemporary art at the CIMAM conference

"This is a perfect situation for a new institution dedicated to contemporary art. Almost at the opening, we will host the most important representatives of galleries and museums dealing with contemporary art from around the world" explains Ludwisiak "The more we want to satisfy the first wave of enthusiasm and curiosity among the audience sooner."