Current exhibitions
Temporary exhibitions
Philosopher and Photographer
The exhibition is part of our series of projects in which we showcase outstanding poets, writers and thinkers in other than their accustomed creative roles – as painters, draftsmen, collage makers or photographers. To date, we have exhibited works by Wisława Szymborska, Zbigniew Herbert, Joachim Ringelnatz, Leon Chwistek and Herta Müller. Each exhibition is accompanied by a sizeable publication that analyses and compares the different creative fields.
The Pope
The Pope is a further exhibition that brings diverse artistic responses to the bishop of Rome. The previous show took place in 2014. Today, on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Karol Wojtyła (1920–2005), known to the world as John Paul II, the Museum has prepared a presentation devoted in its entirety to the phenomenon of the Polish Pope.
Dialogue with the Space (MOCAK Collection)
Works in which the relationship with the surroundings they are in plays a significant role and provides a semantic clinch are usually called installations. Artists employ the exhibition space available or design it themselves. In this presentation, we show 14 works that form a relationship with a neutral environment. Some of these works annex the interiors they occupy, others become a part of its geometry, and others still make use of isolation, revealing fragments of their private worlds.
Contemporary Models of Realism (MOCAK Collection)
The term ‘realism’ appeared in the second half of the 19th century. Nevertheless, the phenomenon of realistic representation applies throughout art history. In the popular perception, ‘good art’ is a faithful representation of reality. This is not, however, what artists consider the most important. They engage in a dialogue with realistic images using their tangibility as raw material to build their concepts.
World War II – Drama, Symbol, Trauma
In preparing an exhibition about World War II, we had no ambition to chart its history but rather to focus on some threads that have had the greatest impact on the Polish consciousness. Artworks are accompanied by documents as well as propaganda and literary materials. In the exhibition we present 39 artists. Many of the works come from the MOCAK Collection.
The Ghosts of Matter
The exhibition is the latest in a series of individual presentations by artists whose works are featured in the MOCAK Collection. Guido Casaretto is interested in matter per se – the sea, mountains, the universe, but also stone and wood. Casaretto analyses different forms of the matter of the Universe, and subsequently – using a variety of media – produces their replicas.
Private Exhibition
The oeuvre of Mikołaj Smoczyński (1955–2009) continues to be discovered anew. MOCAK houses the entire body of his artistic legacy. The exhibition aims to bring the figure of the one of most prominent Polish artists closer to the audiences. This year we commemorate the tenth anniversary of Smoczyński’s death.
Concept-Shapes (MOCAK Collection)
Stanisław Dróżdż is one of the most significant representatives of Polish conceptual art and the most renowned Polish concrete poet. The year 2019 is the year of the 80th anniversary of the poet’s birthday and also the 10th anniversary of his death. In commemoration, the Museum is presenting an individual exhibition of the artist, which comprises entirely works from the MOCAK Collection.
Permanent Exhibitions
Outdoor Exhibits From The MOCAK Collection
Outdoor Exhibits From The Mocak Collection is a group of artworks situated in the area surrounding MOCAK refers to four subjects: the Holocaust, history of art, history of politics and intervention in public space.
Live Factory 2: Warhol by Lupa (MOCAK Collection)
MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow, in collaboration with the Helena Modrzejewska National Stary Theatre in Krakow, is opening a new space as part of its Collection. We will be showing Krystian Lupa’s interactive installation Live Factory 2, based on the stage design for his theatre production Factory 2, which premiered at the Stary Theatre in 2008.
The Mieczysław Porębski Library (MOCAK Collection)
MOCAK’s Library is located in a side building. In one of the halls, Mieczysław Porębski’s Library is be exhibited. Porębski, Poland’s most prominent art historian, many years ago expressed his wish to donate his book collection to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow. When the Museum came into being, he returned to that idea and handed over to the institution the Krakow part of his collection.