Museum opens at 11:00
Cinema is closed now
Museum opens at 11:00
Cinema is closed now
Debate
Intersections: How Migration Shapes the Contemporary Art Scene
panel discussion
07.11.2026 16:00
This event is part of the “ART-Bridge (Art, Resilience & Togetherness – Bridging Cultures Through Contemporary Art)” project
LOCATION
Auditorium
LANGUAGE
Polish
ADMISSION
Free thanks to a partnership with Audi Polska
The audience at the exhibition "The Near East, the Far West" at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
Photo by Alicja Szulc
How can we talk about migration while avoiding the trap of viewing it solely through the lens of loss and uprooting? The Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw and the Art-Bridge group invite people from Ukraine, Belarus, and other countries in the region, as well as Poles with experience of migration, representatives of the local art community, and anyone interested in how the cultural landscape of Central and Eastern Europe is changing today.
Migration is most often described through the lens of trauma and leaving home. During our discussion, we want to radically shift this perspective and view migration as a process of transformation —the regaining of agency, the search for a new artistic language, the creation of unique networks of solidarity, and the discovery of spaces of freedom and new forms of expression in an unfamiliar place.
In the second part of the event, we will open the floor for a group discussion. We will reflect on the role of institutions and try to find answers to several important questions:
Art in Transit: What exactly is art created under conditions of transience and liminality—caught between the structures of one’s country of origin and a new place of residence? How can we describe art that defies easy national categorization?
Institutional Responsibility: What does the genuine willingness of Polish and European galleries, museums, and archives to open up their structures entail? We will consider how to reformulate collection and support policies so that the integration of artists into their new environment is systemic and long-term (which is the foundation of the ART-Bridge program), rather than merely a temporary response to market conditions and the superficial exploitation of the topic.
Archives and Memory: Which names do we want to preserve in history? How can we effectively protect the physical, digital, and oral legacies of creators at risk of marginalization or complete erasure?
Event Concept: Volha Safronova, Dzmitry Shulhin, Lisa Mas (ART-Bridge group)
Panel Guests: Although they work in very different fields—ranging from the visual arts and sociology, through theater and queer activism, to the management of public cultural institutions —the invited guests share one common thread: they actively participate in building an infrastructure of care and solidarity. They are practitioners and researchers who not only create art but also help build safe spaces for voices that are often marginalized.
Olga Mzhelskaya
Mitya Ermalovich-Dashchynski
Marta Romankiv
Marcin Jasiński
Gabi Skrzypczak (moderator)
ART-Bridge (Art, Resilience & Togetherness – Bridging Cultures Through Contemporary Art)
This event is part of the “ART-Bridge (Art, Resilience & Togetherness – Bridging Cultures Through Contemporary Art)” project (grant agreement no.: 2025-1-PL01-KA122-ADU-000328966), co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ program (Adult Education sector).
The ART-Bridge (Art, Resilience & Togetherness – Bridging Cultures Through Contemporary Art) is an initiative of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw (MSN), built on the museum’s experience in working with marginalized and migrant communities (including through the “Słonecznik” Solidarity Cultural Center). The program’s main goal is to transition from short-term assistance to long-term integration, professional development, and social inclusion. The ART-Bridge group consists of adult residents of Warsaw with migration experiences from Ukraine and Belarus who are co-creating this program.
ART-Bridge participants: Sviatlana Bayeva, Yaraslau Kirvel, Liubov Malygina, Lizaveta Maslionchanka, Anna Naumova, Volha Safranova, Dzymitry Shulhin, Varvara Sudnik, Mykyta Vasyliev, Yelyzaveta Yedelieva.
