“Ways of Seeing. Collection of the Museum of Art in Łódź” – new permanent exhibition of contemporary art in Poland

What influences how we look? From 17 October 2025, ms² – a branch of the Museum of Art in Łódź – will host a new permanent exhibition, “Ways of Seeing. Collection of the Museum of Art in Łódź”. The exhibition tells a multifaceted story about the phenomenon of seeing, 20th- and 21st-century art, and the history of the museum itself as a space of avant-garde experimentation and artistic solidarity. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute is a partner of the exhibition.

The phenomenon of seeing in international art of the 20th and 21st centuries – permanent exhibition at ms²

The new exhibition “Ways of Seeing. Collection of the Museum of Art in Łódź” focuses on the phenomenon of seeing – both as a biological function and as a cultural and political act Its title refers to the famous TV series “Ways of Seeing” by British art historian John Berger and to the collection “Teoria widzenia” (“Theory of Seeing”) by Władysław Strzeminski, an artist and one of the founders of the Art Museum in Lodz. Both emphasised that looking is never neutral – it is always culturally, historically, and emotionally conditioned.

Bearing in mind the importance of the social context for the reception of each work, the aim of the exhibition is not to illustrate any particular theory, but to show the diversity of artistic approaches to representing, feeling, and understanding reality. The exhibition is divided into thirteen thematic chapters, presenting art as a means of cognition and as a way to ask questions about how and why we look. Topics explored include the relationship between sight and memory, the social contexts of looking, perception as a form of knowledge and a tool of resistance, as well as questions of identity, corporeality, and the sensory experience of the world. The works are not arranged chronologically; instead, visitors are guided through modules with titles taken from the works on display, such as “Photo Description”, “Multiple Portrait”, “Circle of Acceleration”, “Superobjects”, and “The Look is a Bridge”.

“Ways of Seeing” – a collection of works by avant-garde and contemporary artists in Łódź

“Ways of Seeing. Collection of the Museum of Art” in Łódź also offers a cross-sectional presentation of international art of the 20th and 21st centuries. Its thematic layout emphasises issues and topics that have been present in art from the early 20th century to the present day. The exhibition situates the works within historical contexts, highlighting key moments in history and socio-artistic backgrounds, allowing the pieces to be interpreted within broader historical processes.

It features works by both classic avant-gardists and contemporary artists who continue the dialogue with this heritage. The collection includes:

• The avant-garde and 20th-century classics:
  Jankel Adler, Josef Albers, Jean Arp, Ernst Barlach, Joseph Beuys, Frank Bowling, Marcel Broodthaers, Max Ernst, Paul Klee, Katarzyna Kobro, Władysław Strzemiński, Alina Szapocznikow, Mieczysław Szczuka, Franciszka Themerson, Stefan Themerson, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Andrzej Wróblewski.

• Contemporary Polish and international scene:
  Lita Albuquerque, Joël Andrianomearisoa, Alexandra Bachzetsis, Wojciech Bąkowski, Alicja Bielawska, Cezary Bodzianowski, Agnieszka Brzeżańska, James Lee Byars, Luis Camnitzer, Urszula Broll, Wojciech Fangor, Harun Farocki, Simone Forti, Liam Gillick, Dan Graham, Barbara Hammer, Nancy Holt, Zuzanna Janin, Natalia LL, Katalin Ladik, ORLAN, Agata Polska, Joanna Rajkowska, Bridget Riley, Pakui Hardware, Haegue Yang, Liliana Zeic.

• In addition:
  The collection includes works by groups and conceptual artists such as Gorgona, OHO, IRWIN, Łódź Kaliska, Komar & Melamid, as well as works by Dan Graham, Les Levine, and R.H. Quaytman.

“Ways of Seeing. Collection of the Museum of Art in Łódź” is not only a journey through the history of art, but also through the extraordinary history of the Museum of Art in Łódź itself – an institution founded by artists, which since the 1930s has remained a centre of the European avant-garde, a place of international artistic exchange, and a cradle of experimentation.

“Ways of Seeing. Collection of the Museum of Art in Łódź” in Poland – practical information

• Dates: Exhibition opening: Friday, 17 October 2025, 6:00 pm

• Venue: ms² – branch of the Museum of Art in Łódź (19 Ogrodowa St., Łódź)

• Organiser: Art Museum in Łódź 

• More information and tickets are available at:  https://msl.org.pl/en

• Curatorial team: Jakub Gawkowski, Daniel Muzyczuk, Paweł Polit, Katarzyna Różniak-Szabelska, Franciszek Smoręda

• Exhibition coordination: Martyna Dec, Ewelina Strynowicz

• Museum centre: Wanda Janakiewicz, Natalia Słaboń

• Architecture: Maciej Siuda Pracownia (Adrianna Gruszka, Maciej Siuda)

• Publishing coordination: Agata Dzirba, Matylda Makowska, Izabela Wojtyczka

• Visual identity: Kaja Kusztra

• Honorary patrons: Marta Cienkowska, Minister of Culture and National Heritage, and Joanna Skrzydlewska, Marshal of the Łódź Province

• Patron: Starak Family Foundation

• Exhibition partners: Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation, Dela.art Collection

• The opening weekend will feature a three-day programme of accompanying events, including curatorial tours, performances, concerts, and a DJ set. More information is available at https://msl.org.pl/en.