"The Afterlife of Buildings" - Zacheta

When visiting Poland in December 2008, I went with my young friend Gosia (who wants to attend the Art Academy in Lodz, Poland this year) to see the new exhibitions in Zacheta, in Warsaw. The Zacheta National Gallery of Art is the oldest exhibition site in Warsaw, with a tradition stretching back to the mid 19th Century. It is located in the heart of Warsaw. (The Zacheta building was one of the few to survive in Warsaw’s city center after the destruction of the Second World War).

They were a few very interesting exhibitions: such as “Welcome to Disco Zacheta - The Afterlife of Buildings” and “Up against the Wall”.
Personally I liked the first one the most. “The Afterlife of Buildings” project was recently presented in the Polish Pavilion of the 11th International Architecture Biennale and it is a provocative presentation of 6 important buildings constructed in Poland in recent years. The curators and artists consider what will happen to these buildings in the future, once the function for which they were constructed is no longer appropriate.
Some of the six buidlings are: the Warsaw University Library, the airport terminal in Warsaw and the sanctuary at Lichen (the biggest church in Poland).

What futures await all the buildings under the new circumstances of the new time? These buildings are important and prestigious today. They are presented in the form of pictures ‘before’ and ‘after’ these great changes. I have to tell you that the future is surrealistic! This project is absolutely amazing. You have to see it!

Zacheta, Warsaw, Poland – address:
pl. Malachowskiego 3
00-916 Warszawa
tel. (48 22) 827 58 54
fax (48 22) 827 78 86
Gallery opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday 12 a.m. – 8 p.m.Thursdays entrance free.