The Museum opened its new exhibition space (called “the Museum on the Vistula” to differentiate it from the Museum’s headquarters located on Pańska 3 street) in the spring of 2017.
The Museum on the Vistula is located at Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 22, next to the Copernicus Science Centre and the University of Warsaw Library, in a pavilion designed by Austrian architect Adolf Krischanitz.
This pavilion was previously (between 2008 and 2010) used as a temporary abode of the Kunsthalle in Berlin. It was lent to the Museum free of charge by the Viennese Thyssen-Bornermisza Art Contemporary foundation, established in 2002 by Francesca bon Habsburg, which disseminates experimental art and architecture. The Museum on the Vistula’s façade – in accordance with the architect’s design – will be completely covered with paintings.
In 2016 Sławomir Pawszak won the contest for the façade’s project. His work was applied to the building’s elevations in the spring of 2017, after the Museum opened for business. The pavilion also houses a café, a bookstore and a small education centre. It’s surrounded by terraces perfect for outdoor activities.
The exhibition 'A Tiger came into the Garden: Art of Maria Prymachenko', which lasted from April to July 2024, was the last exhibition at the Museum on the Vistula. PAVILION OF DANCE AND OTHER PERFORMING ARTS will be created at the site. The Warsaw City Council has decided to allocate additional funds to adapt the building to its new function and purchase equipment.
Who will be responsible for the artistic shape of the PAVILION OF DANCE AND OTHER PERFORMING ARTS? An open competition for the curatorial concept for the year-long pilot has been launched at pawilontanca.pl. Both curators and art collectives are invited to participate.
Modernization of the Pavilion on the Vistula, and the subsequent adaptation of the building to its new function, will begin at the end of 2024. The start date of the annual pilot program will depend on the schedule of the modernization work and is estimated for mid-2025.