The Common Museum: Day with FRINGE

We invite you to the event in the frame of The Common Museum program, which emerged from the civic panel of artists organized in MSN in 2024. The Common Museum is a series of activities responding to the needs of the local artistic scene in Warsaw - focused on exchanging knowledge and experience, networking, education, presentation of projects as well as public discussion of problems and challenges that artists and creatives face. The program is realized in cooperation with various local actors - organizations, unions, communities and collectives.

The first event in the frame of The Common Museum is curated by FRINGE - a platform uniting a wide spectrum of independent art and culture initiatives in Warsaw.  The activites of Friday (30.05) evening and Saturday (31.05) are intended to create a space for artists to come together to both share their own practices and experiences, and to hear from and engage with other related voices in our contemporary art community - including those who are already engaged or familiar with FRINGE Warszawa. Those, who are not yet familiar with the initiative, will also have a chance to learn more about who FRINGE are, what they do and why they do it. The program of the two days is a mix of discussions, open-format presentations, and an opportunity to communally construct an installation, all related to the ideas behind FRINGE Warszawa – a community that is fluid, changing, dynamic and independent, based on shared trust and values of equity, solidarity, and advocacy for grassroots art and culture production. 

This discussion on Friday 30th of May, will focus on the state of contemporary art in Warsaw today, through the lens of representatives from its three key sectors: public institutions, private galleries, and independent, artist-led initiatives. Featuring voices from FRINGE Warszawa, Warsaw Gallery Weekend, Center for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle, the conversation is intended to delve into how their overlapping yet distinct roles shape the city’s artistic landscape – affecting production, visibility, and access for makers and viewers alike. Together, the speakers will reflect on the challenges and opportunities facing Warsaw's art scene, and the evolving dynamics that are driving its evolution.

FRINGE: Introduction

13:00-14:00 

FRINGE Warszawa is an annual event that brings together Warsaw’s independent, grassroots, artist-led community. During this introduction, members of the current organizational team will reflect on our past, present, and future: where we started, how we're doing now, and where we hope to be heading for the future. It will be a chance to learn more about how and why we’ve come together, to ask questions, and get to know FRINGE, and those of us behind it, a little bit better. 

Panel discussion: Independent artist-led projects
14:30-16:00

This panel brings together voices from independent, grassroots, and artist-led projects in distinct regions across Poland to explore the unique dynamics of self-organized contemporary art spaces and initiatives. Through shared experiences and diverse perspectives, the discussion will examine how these projects operate outside traditional institutional frameworks – shaping alternative models of collaboration, production, and community engagement.

The panel will reflect on the challenges of sustainability, visibility, and autonomy, and the vital role these initiatives play in expanding the boundaries of the Polish art scene and contemporary art production in Poland.

Panelists
Alicja Jelińska, UNDERGDAŃSK
Gosia Płysa, Ephemera & Unsound
dr Karolina Bieniek, Art Transparent / SURVIVAL Art Review
Moderated by Joanna Oginska, FRINGE Warszawa.

Open-mic session
16:30-18:00 

An open-mic session for everyone who feels connected to the idea of FRINGE Warsaw. Participants – creative individuals, activists, and those engaged in culture – will have the opportunity to present their work, ideas, or experiences in a dynamic 10-minute format. The topics will revolve around independent art, collective practices, gallery activities, cultural initiatives, and other issues related to contemporary art and culture.

To take part in this section of the event, please register using this form

Application deadline: 25.05.2025 

A detailed schedule will be announced till 28.05.2025.

FRINGE THROWBACK - Installation

Together with artists involved in previous editions of FRINGE Warszawa, we will create a temporary exhibition accompanying the event at the MSN. In the space next to the auditorium, an installation will emerge, incorporating artworks, artifacts, and a variety of visual materials referencing past editions of FRINGE. This small, spontaneously arranged space will relate to the character of FRINGE – fluid, ever-changing, with an ambiguous identity.

FRINGE Warszawa is intended to platform a wide spectrum of independent art and culture initiatives in Warsaw - from artist-run spaces to nomadic and non-commercial initiatives. FRINGE highlights unique, grassroots projects and reflects the scale of the independent art scene in Poland.