Arsenal 60! On Collecting, Collection and the Love of Arsenal

Arsenal 60! On Collecting, Collection and the Love of Arsenal
April 11–September 9, 2025
Arsenal Gallery in Bialystok
Adama Mickiewicza 2, 15-222 Bialystok

Curators: Lena Prents, Tatiana Kochubinska

Artists:
Paweł Althamer, Karolina Bielawska, Tymek Borowski, Rafał Bujnowski, Vesna Bukovec, Hubert Czerepok, Aleksandra Czerniawska, Oskar Dawicki, Jakub Gliński, Zofia Gramz, Ryszard Grzyb, Elżbieta Jabłońska, Zhanna Kadyrova, Bartłomiej Kiełbowicz, Aleksander Komarov, Anna Konik, Maciej Kurak, Robert Kuśmirowski, Volodymyr Kuznetsov, Dominik Lejman, Diana Lelonek, Norman Leto, Marcin Maciejowski, Angelika Markul, Magisters (Hubert Czerepok, Zbigniew Rogalski), Malgorzata Markiewicz, Paweł Matyszewski, Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, Deimantas Narkevičius, Laura Pawela, Dan Perjovschi, Agnieszka Polska, R.E.P. (Kseniya Hnylytska, Nikita Kadan, Zhanna Kadyrova, Lesia Khomenko, Volodymyr Kuznetsov, Lada Nakonechna), Karol Radziszewski, Józef Robakowski, Mikołaj Smoczyński, Konrad Smoleński, Mikołaj Sobczak, Irmina Staś, Leon Tarasewicz, Agnieszka Tarasiuk, Slaven Tolj, Julita Wójcik

Exhibition design: Uladzimir Hramovich

The Arsenal Gallery in Białystok is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Collection II is younger – it has been developing since 1991 but over the years, it has grown into one of the largest collections of Polish and East European art. We asked ourselves: what role does the Arsenal Gallery and its collection play in the city and in the lives of its residents? And we asked the residents themselves. The result is a presentation shaped by the suggestions and visions of the audience. The exhibition has expanded beyond the walls of the gallery and into the urban landscape, closer to people, to their workplaces, places of leisure, and private lives. The selected works speak of closeness, memory, and values that are essential not only to a dignified human life but also to the Gallery’s philosophy of collecting. Today, we are witnessing renewed attempts to redraw national borders on the world map. We live in an era marked by new wars and conflicts, with an increasing sense of looming planetary catastrophe. What helps us endure and regain strength in such times are social bonds, connections with like-minded people, compassionate support, solidarity, and love. Art becomes a space that brings us together and offers hope. “On Collecting, Collection and the Love of Arsenal” is an exhibition about our favorite institution, but also about ourselves. Let us celebrate the Arsenal Gallery’s birthday, and its collection, just as we would celebrate the birthday of someone we love.

My Arsenal! Everyone’s Arsenal!

Curated by Lena Prents and Tatiana Kochubinska

Artworks in public space will be presented from 5.05.2025 till 7.09.2025

Curatorial text [PDF]

ACCOMPANYING EVENTS

April 11, 2025 (Friday), 4:00 PM

Arsenal Gallery power station

CURATOR TOUR of the exhibition “Common Landscape / Greeting a Stranger” with Yulia Kostereva

April 11, 2025 (Friday), 6:00 PM

OPENING: Official opening of the anniversary exhibition “Arsenal 60! On Collecting, Collection,

and the Love of Arsenal”. Included in the program: 7:30 PM – CONCERT by the band Nagrobki

April 12, 2025 (Saturday), 12:00 PM

CURATOR TOUR of the anniversary exhibition with Lena Prents and Tatiana Kochubinska

April 27, 2025 (Sunday), 12:00 PM

MEETING “No One Can Give Back Those Years” dedicated to the employees and history of

the Arsenal Gallery in Białystok, hosted by Monika Szewczyk and Jerzy Hermanowicz

May 10, 2025 (Saturday), 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

SCREENING of a film about the work of the Arsenal Gallery’s Education Department with

co-creator Agnieszka Waszczeniuk in attendance. Program includes: demonstration of

animation technique using ground coffee

May 11, 2025 (Sunday), 12:00 PM

GUIDED TOUR in Belarusian with Alina Wawrzeniuk

May 11, 2025 (Sunday), 10:00 AM

FILM WORKSHOP with the creators of the film about the Arsenal Gallery’s Education

Department*

June 7, 2025 (Saturday), 5:00 PM

MEETING with Maria Poprzęcka: “Art and Old Age. On the book Śmierć przed obrazem”, hosted by Agnieszka Morawińska

June 12, 2025 (Thursday), 6:00 PM

FILM MEETING with Maja Skitel on Angelika Markul’s work Casela, part of the “New Eco-Philosophies” series

June 15, 2025 (Sunday), 12:00 PM

GUIDED TOUR in Ukrainian with Yulia Kostereva

June 26, 2025 (Thursday), 12:00 PM

WORKSHOP with Elżbieta Jabłońska for high school students centered around her work Nie licz na nic / Do Not Count On Anything*

June 28, 2025 (Saturday), 3:00 PM

Workshop and guided tour in Polish Sign Language, led by Agnieszka Kołodziejczak

June 29, 2025 (Sunday), 12:00 PM

FILM MEETING with Aleksander Komarov about his work Palipaduazennije

July 9, 2025 (Wednesday), 1:00 PM

WORKSHOP with Paweł Matyszewski for individuals with visual impairments

August 3, 2025 (Saturday), 11:00 AM

FAMILY WORKSHOP with Irmina Staś*

August 3, 2025 (Saturday), 6:00 PM, Arsenal Gallery power station

MULTIGENERATIONAL OUTDOOR DANCE PARTY celebrating the anniversary

August 22, 2025 (Friday), 3:00–5:00 PM

WORKSHOP for teenagers and young adults with Bartłomiej Kiełbowicz*

August 23, 2025 (Saturday), 11:00 AM–1:00 PM

WORKSHOP for adults with Bartłomiej Kiełbowicz*

August 30, 2025 (Saturday), 3:00 PM

WORKSHOP “Cherry on Top” with Alessia Di Donato, Paweł Matyszewski, and Katarzyna Zabłocka*

September 6, 2025 (Saturday), 6:00 PM

FINISSAGE – featuring a PERFORMANCE by Oskar Dawicki

April 11 – September 7, 2025 (Tuesday to Sunday), 10:00 AM–5:00 PM

MAN-U-FACTURERS – free self-service baskets for families and friends with creative tasks

designed to deepen the exhibition experience, prepared by Bartłomiej Kiełbowicz

April 11 – September 7, 2025 (Tuesday to Sunday), 10:00 AM–3:00 PM

ARSENAL PLAYGROUND – workshops for organized groups, led by Arsenal Gallery educators

Open WORKSHOP SERIES: Making pin badges inspired by works from Collection II, led by Jakub Wierzbiński

May 17, 2025, NIGHT OF MUSEUMS, 6:00–10:00 PM

May 31, 2025, 12:00–3:00 PM

June 22, 2025, 12:00–3:00 PM

July 19, 2025, 12:00–3:00 PM

GUIDED TOURS WITH AUDIO DESCRIPTION available from May 6, 2025

Registration: j.bietkal@galeria-arsenal.pl or by phone: +48 85 874 20 61

* registration for workshops via the website galeriaarsenal.pl