The Museum is open 11:00 – 19:00
Cinema is closed now
The Museum is open 11:00 – 19:00
Cinema is closed now
Workshops for adults
Mermaid seals
Tickets (workshops + admission to the exhibition)
regular: PLN 35
reduced: PLN 25
Venue
The group will meet in the small reception area.
Age group
Workshops for adults and young people aged 16+
Language
Polish
Duration
2 hours
Leonor Fini, "Sphinx Regina", 1946, oil on canvas, 65 × 50 cm
You can find the painting at the exhibition "The Female Question 1550-2025" at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw.
The Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw invites you to workshops for adults accompanying the exhibition "The Female Question 1550–2025." This time, we will take a closer look at the most important and, at the same time, the most ambiguous symbol of Warsaw—the mermaid.
The starting point for our reflections will be the images of sphinxes and paintings from the femmes fortes (strong women) section presented at the exhibition. We will also reach back into history, looking at the seals and coats of arms of Warsaw from the 14th century to the present day. We will examine how the appearance of the figures on the city's coat of arms has changed over the centuries. We will consider whether the Warsaw mermaid is really a mermaid in the classical sense. Or is she closer to a hybrid, a sphinx, or a chimera? In the theoretical part, we will talk about how we interpret these representations today. We will try to answer the question of how the motif of the mermaid – as a female (though not always!) and mythical figure – fits into the story of female strength and independence. What will we do?
In the practical part, we will combine historical inspiration with artistic activity. We will use a technique inspired by the ancient form of stamps. Participants will make their own seals. They will be inspired by the mermaid motif, but they can also depict other forms and symbols with which you identify. This will be an opportunity to discuss how mythical figures function in our contemporary imagination and how we think about our own identity today.
Biography of the instructor:
Tomasz Krajewski – educator at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, city guide, and theater educator. He collaborates with the State Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw. Previously, he was associated with the City Laboratory of the Museum of Warsaw, where he researched and popularized the intangible heritage of the capital. Graduate in theater studies and history. Author of educational film projects. Interested in art in urban spaces, the Vistula River, and ceramics.
