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58-760: The word " zachęta " means encouragement . The Zachęta Gallery takes its name from Towarzystwo Zachęty do Sztuk Pięknych ( Society for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts ), founded in Warsaw in 1860. Before 1860 there were neither public museums nor libraries nor other generally accessible institutions that allowed for exchange between artists. The repression that resulted from the November Uprising , made higher artistic education virtually impossible. The last major exhibition took place in 1845. After protests by artists during

116-696: A meteor . As the influence of the Catholic Church in Poland still is very strong, the presentation of Cattelan's work led to a public scandal. The collection began with a picture of Józef Simmler 's Death of Barbara Radziwiłł . Objects have come mainly from donations and wills. At the end of the 19th century, the collection already comprised over one thousand items. The permanent collection of Zachęta National Gallery of Art today comprises 3600 objects of which about 700 are paintings, almost 80 are video works and around 100 are sculptures and installations. In addition,

174-507: A Polish painter and critic. To commemorate the president and Wojciech Gerson , one of the founders of the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts, two plaques were revealed during the gallery's anniversary celebrations in 2000. Since its official opening in 1900, the Zachęta building has housed several institutions: The Zachęta building was registered as a historical monument in 1965. During

232-416: A UNESCO World Heritage Site . The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Cultural Heritage and Conflict gives the next definition of monument: Monuments result from social practices of construction or conservation of material artifacts through which the ideology of their promoters is manifested. The concept of the modern monument emerged with the development of capital and the nation-state in the fifteenth century when

290-459: A certain extent independent with regard to its exhibition programme. In 2010, the Kordegarda Gallery moved to Gałczynskiego street, just off the historic Ulica Nowy Świat ( New World Street ). While still directed by the Zachęta, the Kordegarda Gallery became more independent, devoting its attention to young artists, both Polish and foreign. The main idea is to present the artists within

348-462: A means of expression, where forms previously exclusive to European elites are used by new social groups or for generating anti-monumental artifacts that directly challenge the state and the ruling classes. In conflicts, therefore, it is not so much the monument which is relevant but rather what happens to the communities that participate in its construction or destruction and their instigation of forms of social interaction. The word "monument" comes from

406-421: A monotonous permanent exhibition. After fundamental changes made between 1900 and 1939, the permanent exhibition was shown only in addition to temporarily changing exhibitions. The Society hosted annual salons , funded scholarships and offered other aid to young artists, both members and candidates. First tenders for the design of a new building were put out in 1862. However, due to a lack of financial resources

464-569: A monument needs to be open to the public, which means that its spatial dimension, as well as its content can be experienced by the public, and be sustainable. The former may be achieved either by situating the monument in public space or by a public discussion about the monument and its meaning, the latter by the materiality of the monument or if its content immediately becomes part of the collective or cultural memory. The social meanings of monuments are rarely fixed and certain and are frequently 'contested' by different social groups. As an example: whilst

522-433: A person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical, political, technical or architectural importance. Examples of monuments include statues, (war) memorials, historical buildings, archaeological sites, and cultural assets. If there is a public interest in its preservation, a monument can for example be listed as

580-503: A shift toward the abstract counter monument. In both cases, their conflictive nature is explicit in the need for their conservation, given that a fundamental component of state action following the construction or declaration of monuments is litigating vandalism and iconoclasm. However, not all monuments represent the interests of nation-states and the ruling classes; their forms are also employed beyond Western borders and by social movements as part of subversive practices which use monuments as

638-592: Is no permanent exhibition of the collection. The works either become integrated in temporary shows or are on loan for exhibitions in other Polish institutions or abroad. Decisions about changes to the collection are made by the Commission for Purchases, Donations and Deposits, formed in 1990. Since 2008, the Department of Collections and Inventories is responsible for taking care of Zachęta's collection. The Zachęta library includes: The Department for Documentation archives

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696-465: Is often used to describe any structure that is a significant and legally protected historic work, and many countries have equivalents of what is called in United Kingdom legislation a Scheduled Monument , which often include relatively recent buildings constructed for residential or industrial purposes, with no thought at the time that they would come to be regarded as "monuments". Until recently, it

754-610: The Invasion of Poland at the beginning of the Second World War almost all of the buildings surrounding the museum were destroyed while the Zachęta building remained comparatively undamaged. Following the Polish capitulation, German units occupied the building and converted it into the Haus der Deutschen Kultur (House of German Culture) which was mainly used for propaganda purposes. The Society for

812-533: The Latin word Artibus . Construction work began in 1898. In December 1900, the front building was officially opened followed by the opening of the south wing in 1903. Both the opening and extension of the building were exceptionally well reviewed. Szyller's plans originally included the construction of two more wings which could not be implemented at that time. In 1958, the Ministry of Art and Culture decided to reconstruct

870-701: The Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939 and was officially shut down in 1942. The former building of the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts in Małachowski Square in Warsaw currently houses the Zacheta National Gallery of Art , a state-funded museum dedicated to Central and Eastern European modern and contemporary art . The repression that resulted from the November Uprising , made higher artistic education virtually impossible. The last major exhibition took place in 1845. After protests by artists during

928-547: The 1850s, the Wystawa Krajowa Sztuk Pięknych (National Exhibition of Fine Arts) was approved in 1858, and lead to negotiations with Russian rulers who in the end permitted the foundation of the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts in 1860. The Society's statutes were set by artists and art experts. The first official meeting and the election of a board of directors took place on 13 December 1860. The board had twelve members, six artists and six art experts, and

986-524: The 1850s, the Wystawa Krajowa Sztuk Pięknych (National Exhibition of Fine Arts) was approved in 1858, and led to negotiations with Russian rulers who in the end permitted the foundation of the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts in 1860. On 13 December 1860, the first meeting of the founding members was held. The board had twelve members, six artists and six art experts, and was elected annually. The members remained in office for at least one month but no longer than one year. The inaugural Committee of

1044-563: The Administrative Council of the Kingdom of Poland, the Act of the Society was approved by the secretary of state, Justynian Karnicki who later would become a longtime vice-president of the Society (1862–1876) and a member of the Society's Committee. The Society was initially located at Hotel Europejski before moving to Resursa Obywatelska Palace in 1896. After the Society was given land by

1102-638: The Central Bureau for Art Exhibitions became the most important institution in the area of cultural policy. The 1980s were characterized by radical political changes related to the declaration of martial law , leading to a boycott of all official galleries. In fact, the central bureau never really recovered from these drastic failures. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the fall of the Iron Curtain changed political circumstances fundamentally, and also affected

1160-510: The Encouragement of Fine Arts in Warsaw ( Towarzystwo Zachęty Sztuk Pięknych w Warszawie ) was an independent arts organization founded in Warsaw , then Kingdom of Poland , in 1860. Its main goal was to support and popularize Polish art through active acquisitions, providing help for young artists through scholarships , as well as publishing and organizing exhibitions and art competitions, among other activities. The society remained active until

1218-516: The Encouragement of Fine Arts was dissolved. The artwork, as well as other documents belonging to the Society, were largely brought to the Muzeum Narodowe , or confiscated and sent to Germany. The transport took place on open trucks without any proper documentation. During the Warsaw Uprising the Zachęta building was heavily damaged by artillery and bombs and thus needed to be fully renovated at

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1276-447: The Latin " monumentum ", derived from the word moneo , monere , which means 'to remind' or 'to warn', suggesting a monument allows us to see the past thus helping us visualize what is to come in the future. In English the word "monumental" is often used in reference to something of extraordinary size and power, as in monumental sculpture , but also to mean simply anything made to commemorate

1334-572: The Nazi invasion of Poland in September 1939 and the outbreak of World War II, Zachęta was shut down and the building used for German Nazi propaganda under the name Haus der deutschen Kultur (House of German Culture). It reopened in 1949 as the Central Bureau of Art Exhibitions (Centralne Biuro Wystaw Artystycznych or CBWA), becoming an official arm of cultural propaganda of the nascent Stalinist regime. In 1989, as Communism in Poland had begun to collapse , CBWA

1392-482: The Society included: Edward Rastawiecki , Justinian Karnicki, Stanisław Zamoyski , Leon Dembowski, Józef Ignacy Kraszewski , Aleksander Przeździecki; artists: Alfred Schouppe , Józef Simmler , January Suchodolski , Rafał Hadziewicz , Juliusz Kossak , and Konstanty Hegel. The following were elected to the Accounting Committee: Jakub Lewiński, Karol Beyer and Aleksander Lesser . On behalf of

1450-528: The Society's former collection. The extension of the building created a larger exhibition space, a storage facility for the artwork, an unloading platform and an office wing with a separate entrance. The largest exhibition hall was named after the Polish painter, Jan Matejko . Another room is named after Gabriel Narutowicz , the first president of the Second Polish Republic , who was assassinated at Zachęta on 16 December 1922 by Eligiusz Niewiadomski ,

1508-476: The Zachęta and Kordegarda. The gallery also runs a separate Pedagogy Department which is responsible for the organisation of lectures, meetings and talks with artists and art historians, concerts, guided tours as well as educational programmes. The Kordegarda Gallery (literally: guardroom) was founded in 1956 as a branch of the Zachęta and situated on Krakowskie Przedmieście in Warsaw. It was an additional exhibition space, directed and organised by Zachęta, yet to

1566-479: The building. Surrounding houses had been destroyed during the war and thus, involuntarily, gave way to the extension of the building. The Warsaw architects, Oskar Hansen, Lech Tomaszewski and Stanisław Zamecznikow, were entrusted with the reconstruction, but the planned reconstruction was postponed. In 1982, the reconstruction plans were taken up again and executed by the Shop for Preservation of Monuments. From 1991 to 1993,

1624-635: The case of the Great Wall of China , or because an event of great importance occurred there such as the village of Oradour-sur-Glane in France . Many countries use ' ancient monument ' or similar terms for the official designation of protected structures or archeological sites which may originally have been ordinary domestic houses or other buildings. Monuments are also often designed to convey historical or political information, and they can thus develop an active socio-political potency. They can be used to reinforce

1682-581: The collection not only reflect the often complicated past of the institution, but also show the focus of the gallery. Today, it concentrates on works of contemporary Polish artists, including works that have been shown in the gallery as well as works which were produced in cooperation with the gallery. Some of these projects are exhibited in other locations, such as the Polish Pavilion at the Biennale in Venice. There

1740-402: The context of urban structures and emphasize the cooperation of artist and gallery. In fact, the exhibition room is just as important as the art within, which is why every artist is asked to work individually with the exhibition room and design the artwork, especially for the given space. Currently, the Zachęta is updating both the concept and programme of the Kordegarda Gallery . In the past,

1798-898: The dead, as a funerary monument or other example of funerary art . A formalist interpretation of monuments suggests their origins date back to antiquity and even prehistory. Archaeologists like Gordon Childe viewed ancient monuments as symbols of power. Historians such as Lewis Mumford proposed that the practice began with Paleolithic landmarks, which served as sites for communication with ancestral spirits. However, these perspectives often project modern uses of monuments onto ancient structures. In art history, monuments are seen as significant sculptural forms; in architecture and urban planning, they are crucial for city organization and mapping. These contemporary interpretations have been retroactively applied to ancient and non-Western structures. This modern concept of monuments aligns with how past constructions are labeled as monuments today. Françóise Choay highlights

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1856-477: The debate touches on the social mechanisms that combine with Remembrance. These are acceptance of the monument as an object, the conveyed contents and the impact of these contents. Monuments are frequently used to improve the appearance of a city or location. Planned cities such as Washington, D.C. , New Delhi and Brasília are often built around monuments. For example, the Washington Monument 's location

1914-404: The dismissal of the "civil servant of Jewish origin". He also proposed prosecution due to violation of religious sentiments. [REDACTED] Media related to Zachęta National Gallery of Art at Wikimedia Commons 52°14′20″N 21°00′40″E  /  52.239°N 21.011°E  / 52.239; 21.011 Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts (Warsaw) The Society for

1972-542: The distinction between these views: "The historic monument is a precisely datable invention of the West... exported and diffused beyond Europe from the late nineteenth century." Basically, the definition framework of the term monument depends on the current historical frame conditions. Aspects of the Culture of Remembrance and cultural memory are also linked to it, as well as questions about the concepts of public sphere and durability (of

2030-480: The end of the war. Traces of a flammable substance were found, suggesting that German units planned to set the building on fire before their withdrawal. After the war, the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts was not reactivated. It was replaced by the Centralne Biuro Wystaw Artystycznych (Central Bureau for Art Exhibitions) which was founded in 1949 by the Ministry for Art and Culture at

2088-603: The former East German socialist state may have seen the Berlin Wall as a means of 'protection' from the ideological impurity of the west, dissidents and others would often argue that it was symbolic of the inherent repression and paranoia of that state. This contention of meaning is a central theme of modern 'post processual' archaeological discourse. While many ancient monuments still exist today, there are notable incidents of monuments being intentionally or accidentally destroyed and many monuments are likely to have disappeared through

2146-470: The gallery marked its 100th anniversary with the exhibition, Polonia - Polonia . The exhibition included over 100 objects from different times and representing different types of media. All of the artwork presented national subjects. In the same year, the gallery opened the exhibition Słońce i inne Gwiazdy ( The Sun and other Stars ) based on a survey taken in 1999. The survey was directed primarily to Polish art historians, critics and curators, and asked for

2204-423: The gallery owns an extensive collection of over 2600 works on paper such as graphic works, drawings and photographs. Polish artists from the 20th century, like Tadeusz Kantor , Henryk Stażewski and Alina Szapocznikow , are represented within the collection as well as Polish contemporary artists such as Mirosław Bałka , Katarzyna Kozyra , Zbigniew Libera , Wilhelm Sasnal and Krzysztof Wodiczko . The works of

2262-521: The influence of the catholic church in Poland was demonstrated by the censoring of various exhibitions due to blasphemy . In December 2000, the Polish right-wing politician Witold Tomczak damaged Maurizio Cattelan 's sculpture, La Nona Ora , and prompted the dismissal of director, Anda Rottenberg . In a letter addressed to the prime minister , Tomczak denounced Rottenberg, suggested that she should curate "rather in Israel than in Poland", and then demanded

2320-473: The lives and works of Polish artists since 1945. In addition to biographical notes, there is a list of exhibitions the respective artists took part in as well as newspaper clippings and exhibition catalogues. The archive is accessible and can only be used on-site. The gallery's bookshop is located on the ground floor of the building, offering catalogues, books and magazines of Polish and foreign artists as well as catalogues of exhibitions which took place at both

2378-471: The monuments in their jurisdiction, there are institutions dedicated on the efforts to protect and preserve monuments that considered to possess special natural or cultural significance for the world, such as UNESCO 's World Heritage Site programme and World Monuments Fund . Cultural monuments are also considered to be the memory of a community and are therefore particularly at risk in the context of modern asymmetrical warfare. The enemy's cultural heritage

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2436-471: The most important artists of the 20th century. The result was two lists: one presenting the most important Polish artists and the other presenting the most important foreign artists. Słońce i inne Gwiazdy exhibited ten of the elected Polish artists: Magdalena Abakanowicz , Tadeusz Kantor , Katarzyna Kobro , Roman Opałka , Henryk Stażewski , Władysław Strzemiński , Alina Szapocznikow , Witkacy , Witold Wojtkiewicz and Andrzej Wróblewski . Also in 2000,

2494-530: The municipality close to the Saxon Palace in Warsaw, another competition was announced in 1894, won by the Warsaw architect, Stefan Szyller. He presented an architectural design in neo-Renaissance style with classical elements. The portal is ornamented with allegorical figures and sculptural works by Zygmunt Otto. The architrave of the building is engraved with the Latin word "Artibus" (English: arts). Construction work began in 1898. In December 1900,

2552-452: The newly designed building became the official location of the Society, commonly known as Zachęta (Encouragement). The building included large exhibition spaces and a dedicated library. It was followed by the opening of the south wing in 1903. On 16 December 1922, President of Poland Gabriel Narutowicz was assassinated at Zachęta while viewing an exhibition dedicated to modern Polish painting, only five days after taking office. Following

2610-404: The one memorized) and the form and content of the monument (work-like monument). From an art historical point of view, the dichotomy of content and form opens up the problem of the "linguistic ability" of the monument. It becomes clear that language is an eminent part of a monument and it is often represented in "non-objective" or "architectural monuments", at least with a plaque. In this connection,

2668-615: The passage of time and natural forces such as erosion. In 772 during the Saxon Wars , Charlemagne intentionally destroyed an Irminsul monument in order to desecrate the pagan religion. In 1687 the Parthenon in Athens was partially destroyed by a Venetian mortar round, which set off the store of gunpowder kept there by the Turkish defenders. A recent archeological dig in central France uncovered

2726-407: The plans were not realized. After the Society was given land by the municipality, another competition was announced in 1894, won by the Warsaw architect, Stefan Szyller. He presented an architectural design in neo-Renaissance style with classical elements. The portal is ornamented with allegorical figures and sculptural works by Zygmunt Otto. The architrave of the building is engraved with

2784-676: The primacy of contemporary political power, such as the column of Trajan or the numerous statues of Lenin in the Soviet Union . They can be used to educate the populace about important events or figures from the past, such as in the renaming of the old General Post Office Building in New York City to the James A. Farley Building , after James Farley , former Postmaster General of the United States . To fulfill its informative and educative functions

2842-467: The reconstruction was supervised and executed by the company, Dom i Miasto (Home and City). The company was also responsible for the extension of the staircases inside the building, which allowed for direct access to the exhibition halls within the new part of the building. The resulting monumental perspective is emphasized by the Gladiator , a work by the Polish sculptor, Pius Weloński, which remained from

2900-505: The remains of a Megalithic monument that had been previously destroyed "Like some monuments, including Belz in Morbihan , the menhirs of Veyre-Monton were knocked down in order to make them disappear from the landscape. Pushed into large pits, sometimes mutilated or covered with earth, these monoliths have been destroyed. 'object of iconoclastic gestures, a sort of condemnation perhaps linked to some change of community or beliefs " The term

2958-548: The request of the Association for Fine Arts, Poland. In 1951, the bureau began to host exhibitions. The first director (1949–1954) was Armand Vetulani . The central bureau was responsible for the organisation of art exhibitions, and all other artistic activity, throughout the entire country. Branch offices were opened in Kraków , Katowice , Poznań , Łódź , Zakopane , Gdańsk , Szczecin , Wrocław , Olsztyn and Opole . Eventually,

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3016-431: The ruling classes began to build and conserve what were termed monuments. These practices proliferated significantly in the nineteenth century, creating the ideological frameworks for their conservation as a universal humanist duty. The twentieth century has marked a movement toward some monuments being conceived as cultural heritage in the form of remains to be preserved, and concerning commemorative monuments, there has been

3074-478: The structure of the central bureau. Barbara Majewska, the director of the bureau, moved the bureau away from its former old and centralistic structures, andon May 30, 1994, the Central Bureau for Art Exhibitions was closed and turned into the Zachęta State Gallery. In 2003, the Polish minister of culture , Waldemar Dąbrowski, renamed the gallery Narodowa Galeria Sztuki (National Gallery of Art). In 2000,

3132-571: The ten most important foreign artists were presented in another exhibit and consisted of Pablo Picasso , Francis Bacon , Joseph Beuys , Marcel Duchamp , Wassily Kandinsky , Andy Warhol , Kazimir Malevich , Salvador Dalí , Piet Mondrian and Constantin Brâncuși . In 2000, the Swiss art historian, Harald Szeemann , curated an exhibition featuring Maurizio Cattelans , La Nona Ora ( The ninth Hour ). The artwork shows Pope John Paul II hit and buried by

3190-593: Was conceived by L'Enfant to help organize public space in the city, before it was designed or constructed. Older cities have monuments placed at locations that are already important or are sometimes redesigned to focus on one. As Shelley suggested in his famous poem " Ozymandias " (" Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair! "), the purpose of monuments is very often to impress or awe. Structures created for other purposes that have been made notable by their age, size or historic significance may also be regarded as monuments. This can happen because of great age and size, as in

3248-475: Was customary for archaeologists to study large monuments and pay less attention to the everyday lives of the societies that created them. New ideas about what constitutes the archaeological record have revealed that certain legislative and theoretical approaches to the subject are too focused on earlier definitions of monuments. An example has been the United Kingdom 's Scheduled Ancient Monument laws. Other than municipal or national government that protecting

3306-423: Was dissolved. Under the newly elected democratic government of Poland, Zachęta became a national museum dedicated to modern art in 1990 known as Zacheta National Gallery of Art (Zachęta Narodowa Galeria Sztuki). 52°14′20″N 21°00′40″E  /  52.239°N 21.011°E  / 52.239; 21.011 Monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate

3364-531: Was elected annually. The members remained in office for at least one month but no longer than one year. The primary aim of the Society was the dissemination of fine arts as well as support and encouragement of artists. Furthermore, its intention was to create general awareness of art among the Polish society. In 1860 the Society had 234 official registered members. Only one year later the number had increased to 1464. Initially, all artworks were on display until they were sold. Soon enough that lead to crowded walls and

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