Zachęta National Gallery of Art

Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts

Prior to 1860, there were no accessible institutions for artists to exchange ideas, such as public museums or libraries. The aftermath of the November Uprising made it nearly impossible for artists to receive higher education. The last major exhibition occurred in 1845. However, artist protests in the 1850s led to the approval of the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in 1858. Negotiations with Russian rulers eventually allowed for the establishment of the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts in 1860. The Society aimed to promote and support artists while raising awareness of art in Polish society. Membership grew rapidly, from 234 to 1464 within a year. The Society organized annual salons, provided scholarships, and aided young artists.

The Building

The initial call for design proposals for a new building was made in 1862, but due to financial constraints, the plans were not realized. However, in 1894, the Society received land from the municipality, leading to another competition. This time, the winning design was submitted by Stefan Szyller, an architect from Warsaw. Szyller's architectural vision embraced a neo-Renaissance style with classical elements. The entrance portal was adorned with allegorical figures and sculptures by Zygmunt Otto, while the architrave of the building featured the engraved Latin word "Artibus."

Construction work commenced in 1898, and by December 1900, the front building was officially inaugurated. The south wing followed suit in 1903. Both the opening and the subsequent expansion of the building received positive acclaim. Szyller's original plans included the construction of two additional wings, but these could not be realized at that time.

In 1958, the Ministry of Art and Culture decided to undertake the reconstruction of the building, taking advantage of the vacant space left by the neighboring houses, which had been destroyed during the war. The task of reconstruction was entrusted to Warsaw architects Oskar Hansen, Lech Tomaszewski, and Stanisław Zamecznikow. However, the planned reconstruction was postponed.

In 1982, the reconstruction plans were revived and carried out by the Shop for Preservation of Monuments. From 1991 to 1993, the company Dom i Miasto (Home and City) supervised and executed the reconstruction. As part of the renovation, the staircases inside the building were extended to provide direct access to the exhibition halls in the new section. The resulting grand perspective was accentuated by "Gladiator," a sculpture by Polish artist Pius Weloński, which had been preserved from the Society's previous collection.

The extension of the building allowed for a larger exhibition space, an art storage facility, an unloading platform, and an office wing with a separate entrance. The main exhibition hall was named after Jan Matejko, a renowned Polish painter. Another room was dedicated to Gabriel Narutowicz, the first president of the Second Polish Republic, who was tragically assassinated at Zachęta on December 16, 1922, by Eligiusz Niewiadomski, a Polish painter and critic. During the gallery's anniversary celebrations in 2000, two plaques were unveiled to commemorate the president and Wojciech Gerson, one of the founders of the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts.

Since its official opening in 1900, the Zachęta building has housed various institutions over the years. From 1900 to 1939, it served as the home of the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts. During the period of 1939 to 1945, it was known as the House of German Culture. From 1945 to 1989, it functioned as the Central Bureau for Art Exhibitions. Between 1989 and 2003, it was recognized as the Zachęta State Gallery of Art. And since 2003, it has been officially known as the Zachęta National Gallery of Art.

The Zachęta building was officially listed as a historical monument in 1965.

1939 to 1945

During the onset of the Second World War, the Invasion of Poland resulted in the destruction of nearly all the buildings surrounding the museum. Surprisingly, the Zachęta building remained relatively unscathed amidst the chaos. However, after the Polish surrender, German forces seized control of the building and repurposed it as the Haus der Deutschen Kultur (House of German Culture), primarily utilizing it for propaganda endeavors. As a consequence, the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts was disbanded, and its valuable artworks and documents were either transferred to the Muzeum Narodowe or confiscated and sent to Germany without proper documentation. These transfers occurred haphazardly, with the artworks transported in open trucks.

During the Warsaw Uprising, the Zachęta building suffered extensive damage from artillery bombardment and bombings, necessitating a comprehensive restoration at the war's end. Disturbingly, traces of a flammable substance were discovered, indicating that German forces had intended to set the building ablaze prior to their retreat.

1945 to 1989

Following the war, the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts remained inactive and was subsequently replaced by the Central Bureau for Art Exhibitions, established in 1949 by the Ministry for Art and Culture in response to a request from the Association for Fine Arts, Poland. Exhibitions began to be organized by the bureau in 1951, under the leadership of its first director, Armand Vetulani, who served from 1949 to 1954.

The central bureau took on the responsibility of organizing art exhibitions and overseeing all other artistic activities across the entire country. Branch offices were established in Kraków, Katowice, Poznań, Łódź, Zakopane, Gdańsk, Szczecin, Wrocław, Olsztyn, and Opole. Eventually, the Central Bureau for Art Exhibitions emerged as the most influential institution in the realm of cultural policy.

However, the 1980s witnessed significant political upheaval due to the declaration of martial law, which resulted in a boycott of all official galleries. As a consequence, the central bureau never fully recovered from these profound setbacks.

After 1989

The collapse of the Berlin Wall and the dismantling of the Iron Curtain brought about profound political changes that had a significant impact on the Central Bureau for Art Exhibitions. Under the leadership of Barbara Majewska, the bureau underwent a transformation, moving away from its previous centralized structure. Consequently, on May 30, 1994, the decision was made to close the Central Bureau for Art Exhibitions, which was then transformed into the Zachęta State Gallery.

In 2003, the Polish Minister of Culture, Waldemar Dąbrowski, decided to rename the gallery as the National Gallery of Art, now known as Narodowa Galeria Sztuki. This change reflected a new vision and emphasized the gallery's role as a prominent institution in the country's art scene.

In the year 2000, the gallery celebrated its centennial with the exhibition titled "Polonia - Polonia," which showcased over 100 objects from various periods and mediums. All the artworks featured in the exhibition revolved around national themes.

During the same year, the gallery launched another exhibition called "Słońce i inne Gwiazdy" (The Sun and other Stars), which was based on a survey conducted in 1999. The survey targeted Polish art historians, critics, and curators, seeking their input on the most significant artists of the 20th century. The survey resulted in two lists: one highlighting the most important Polish artists and the other featuring the most prominent foreign artists. "Słońce i inne Gwiazdy" exhibited the works of ten selected Polish artists: Magdalena Abakanowicz, Tadeusz Kantor, Katarzyna Kobro, Roman Opałka, Henryk Stażewski, Władysław Strzemiński, Alina Szapocznikow, Witkacy, Witold Wojtkiewicz, and Andrzej Wróblewski.

Simultaneously, another exhibition showcased the ten most important foreign artists: Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, Joseph Beuys, Marcel Duchamp, Wassily Kandinsky, Andy Warhol, Kazimir Malevich, Salvador Dalí, Piet Mondrian, and Constantin Brâncuși.

In that same eventful year, the Swiss art historian Harald Szeemann curated an exhibition featuring Maurizio Cattelan's artwork titled "La Nona Ora" (The ninth Hour). This thought-provoking piece portrayed Pope John Paul II being struck and buried by a meteor. Given the enduring influence of the Catholic Church in Poland, the display of Cattelan's work caused a public scandal.

The inception of the collection can be traced back to the inclusion of Józef Simmler's painting, "Death of Barbara Radziwiłł," as its starting point. Over time, the collection has grown predominantly through donations and bequests. By the end of the 19th century, it already encompassed more than one thousand items.

Presently, the permanent collection of the Zachęta National Gallery of Art comprises 3600 objects. Among these, approximately 700 are paintings, nearly 80 are video works, and about 100 are sculptures and installations. Additionally, the gallery possesses an extensive collection of over 2600 works on paper, including graphic works, drawings, and photographs. The collection features works by notable Polish artists from the 20th century, such as Tadeusz Kantor, Henryk Stażewski, and Alina Szapocznikow, as well as contemporary Polish artists like Mirosław Bałka, Katarzyna Kozyra, Zbigniew Libera, Wilhelm Sasnal, and Krzysztof Wodiczko.

These collected works not only reflect the complex history of the institution but also underscore the gallery's current focus. Today, the gallery concentrates on contemporary works by Polish artists, encompassing pieces previously showcased within the gallery as well as those created in collaboration with it. Some of these projects are displayed in other locations, including the Polish Pavilion at the Biennale in Venice. The collection itself does not have a permanent exhibition but rather becomes integrated into temporary displays or is loaned for exhibitions in other Polish institutions or abroad.

Decisions pertaining to changes in the collection are made by the Commission for Purchases, Donations, and Deposits, which was established in 1990. Since 2008, the Department of Collections and Inventories has been entrusted with the responsibility of caring for Zachęta's collection.

The Zachęta library offers the following resources:

• Catalogues: They have an extensive collection of catalogues featuring Polish artists working both in Poland and abroad, as well as foreign artists working in Poland. They also have catalogues focusing on specific exhibition cycles. Their catalogue collection is considered one of the most comprehensive in Poland.
• Books: The library provides books on contemporary art and related subjects.
• Magazines: They have a selection of Polish and foreign art magazines that cover a wide range of topics.
• Department for Documentation: This department maintains archives documenting the lives and works of Polish artists since 1945. The archives include biographical information, lists of exhibitions the artists have participated in, newspaper clippings, and exhibition catalogues. Access to the archive is available on-site.

The gallery's bookshop, located on the ground floor, offers catalogues, books, and magazines featuring both Polish and foreign artists. They also have catalogues showcasing exhibitions held at both the Zachęta and Kordegarda galleries.

Additionally, the gallery has a Pedagogy Department responsible for organizing lectures, meetings, and discussions with artists and art historians. They also arrange concerts, guided tours, and educational programs.

The Kordegarda Gallery, originally established in 1956 as a branch of the Zachęta and located on Krakowskie Przedmieście in Warsaw, had served as an additional exhibition venue under the direction and organization of Zachęta. However, it also enjoyed a certain degree of independence in terms of its exhibition programming.

In 2010, the Kordegarda Gallery underwent a relocation to Gałczynskiego street, near the historic Ulica Nowy Świat (New World Street). While still overseen by Zachęta, the gallery began to operate with greater independence and focused on showcasing young artists from Poland and abroad. The central idea was to present these artists within an urban context and highlight the collaborative relationship between the artist and the gallery. Consequently, equal importance was given to the exhibition space itself, leading each artist to work individually with the room and create artwork specifically tailored to the given space.

At present, the Zachęta is in the process of updating both the concept and program of the Kordegarda Gallery.

In the past, the Catholic Church's influence in Poland was evident through its involvement in censoring various exhibitions deemed blasphemous (source needed). An incident that highlights this occurred in December 2000 when the Polish right-wing politician Witold Tomczak vandalized Maurizio Cattelan's sculpture, La Nona Ora, leading to the removal of director Anda Rottenberg from her position. Tomczak wrote a letter to the prime minister in which he condemned Rottenberg, suggesting that she should curate exhibitions "rather in Israel than in Poland" and calling for the dismissal of the "civil servant of Jewish origin". He also advocated for legal action against her for allegedly violating religious sentiments.