Program of the Museum of Photography in Krakow
MUFO RAKOWICKA
January 2025
A Sensitive Look at the Passing of Time | A thematic guided tour of the exhibition "Zofia Rydet. A World of Feelings and Imagination" with translation into PJM
January 5, 2025, 12:00 pm
The end of the year is a time for taking stock. At that time we often think about the transience of human life and analyze the past. The work of Zofia Rydet is characterized by sensitivity to human experience, and themes related to old age and the passage of time play an important role in the cycles that make up the "World of feelings and imagination."
On January 5 we invite you to a thematic guided tour of the exhibition "Zofia Rydet. World of Feelings and Imagination," which evokes the vanitas motif in a non-obvious way. This will be an opportunity to take a closer look at Rydet's photomontages and immerse yourself in the surreal and lyrical aesthetics of her works.
Leading:
Marcin Krotla - Art historian, museum and anti-discrimination educator. In addition to the Museum of Photography, he has worked with the Forum for Dialogue Foundation, the International Cultural Center in Krakow, MOCAK and the Wawel Royal Castle. More recently, he has also been implementing projects and conducting educational activities at the Galicia Jewish Museum. What he values most in his work as an educator is the opportunity to interact and exchange ideas with the audience, build relationships and share his fascinations.
Important information:
- Guided tour for youth and adults
- Place: MuFo Rakowicka, 22A Rakowicka St.
- Price: included in the exhibition ticket
- Duration: 1 hour.
- Number of participants: 30 people
- Registration through the online booking system: tickets.mufo.krakow.pl, by email at tickets[at]mufo.krakow.pl and by phone at 12 3957042 ext. 1226. Telephone booking possible from Tuesday to Sunday during the Museum's opening hours.
January 15, 2025, 11 am
Toddlers at MuFo | How does a magic lantern work?
Storytelling is the best fun that mankind has invented for itself - this paraphrase of Wislawa Szymborska's words perfectly captures the purpose of magic lanterns, also known as sorcery lanterns, or slide display devices. These devices, known since the 17th century, were created to transport viewers into the supernatural world. Initially they were surrounded by an aura of mystery, as they served a small circle of experts, but later became a popular form of home entertainment. During the tour, you will learn about these fascinating objects, which are in MuFo's collection on a daily basis, as well as what a magic lantern show looked like in the 19th century.
Leading:
Dr. Maria Wąchała-Skindzier - Historian, museologist and museum educator. She is the author of a doctoral dissertation on the reception of the communist period in museum narratives in 1989-2017, defended at the Faculty of History of Jagiellonian University. She holds a degree in history from Jagiellonian University and a degree in museology from Jagiellonian University's Postgraduate Museum Studies. Qualified curator. Curator of exhibitions. For ten years she worked in the History and Art of Modern Krakow Department of the Krakow Museum, where she headed the "History of Nowa Huta" department in 2016-2019. She is the author of scholarly publications and exhibition catalogs, scenarios for museum lessons, historical walks, and curatorial tours, including those for children. Her research interests focus on memory, history of everyday life, heritage, cultural history and museology. She works at the Museum of Photography in Cracow.
Important information:
- Meeting for parents and caregivers of children aged 0-1.5 years
- Place: MuFo Rakowicka, 22A Rakowicka St.
- Price: 10 PLN
- Duration: about 80 min.
- Number of participants: 15 people
Please bring a baby carrier or sling for your child to participate in the class for convenience. At MuFo Rakowicka we have 1 bundled sling available at checkout.
- Registration through the online booking system: tickets.mufo.krakow.pl, by email at tickets[at]mufo.krakow.pl and by phone at 12 3957042 ext. 1226. Telephone booking possible from Tuesday to Sunday during the Museum's opening hours.
January 16, 2025, 5:30 pm
With Zofia Rydet under one roof | Lecture.
"With Zofia Rydet under One Roof" is a story about what it's like to live in the photographic archive of an icon of Polish photography and the challenges of preserving this priceless heritage.
Born during a period of turbulent geopolitical changes, Zofia Rydet lived in six countries: Austria-Hungary, the Second Republic, the USSR, the Third Reich, the Polish People's Republic and the Third Republic. She lived permanently in two cities: Stanislawow and Gliwice, and briefly in Rabka, Bytom, and reportedly also in Klodzko. During her lifetime she traveled extensively, and after her death the artist's wandering continued with her archive: from Gliwice via Rabka to Krakow. Her rich private and artistic life meant that she left behind a huge collection of items - boxes, envelopes and stacks of photos and documents. Organizing the results of forty years of creative work is a challenge, and taking care of a legacy of this class of artist is a lifelong commitment. What has happened to the archive since 1997? What were the beginnings of the Zofia Rydet Foundation? This is what we will learn during the first part of the meeting from Zofia Augustynska-Martyniak.
The work on Zofia Rydet's oeuvre does not end there. The next step is the conservation of tens of thousands of objects. This includes not only archival and photographic materials, which themselves require an enormous amount of work, but also spatial photo-objects. An in-depth understanding of the work, its context and original mode of display, as well as an assessment of its state of preservation, allows us to plan long-term conservation that goes beyond caring for the material aspect of the object.
Uta Hanusek will talk about the behind-the-scenes work on the conservation of Zofia Rydet's "Transformations" series in the second part of the meeting.
Leading:
Zofia Augustyńska-Martyniak - art conservator, graduate of the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow and postgraduate Cultural Management at Jagiellonian University. Archivist, custodian and stocktaker of the archive of Zofia Rydet, which includes tens of thousands of negatives, photographs and all kinds of accompanying documentation. Popularizer of the work of this artist photographer, and privately her great-granddaughter. Together with her mother Maria Sokół-Augustinska, she manages the Zofia Rydet Foundation, which they founded in 2011 and whose headquarters is their family home.
Uta Hanusek - art conservator, interested in the conservation of contemporary art, paper and photography. During her studies at the Faculty of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow, in cooperation with the Zofia Rydet Foundation, she prepared her master's thesis on the conservation of Zofia Rydet's spatial series titled "The Transformations. "Transformations." She is currently working as a senior conservation assistant at the Department of Conservation and Storage of Collections of the Museum of Photography in Krakow. She is fascinated by direct contact with works of art and how inspiring caring for them can be. Privately, she is a member of the Maria Pinińska-Bereś and Jerzy Bereś Foundation.
Important information:
- Place: MuFo Rakowicka, 22A Rakowicka St.
- Price: 5 PLN
- Duration: up to 1.5 hours.
- Number of participants: 30 people
- Registration through the online booking system: tickets.mufo.krakow.pl, by email at tickets[at]mufo.krakow.pl and by phone at 12 3957042 ext. 1226. Telephone booking possible from Tuesday to Sunday during the Museum's opening hours.
January 17, 2025, 11 am
With a Tender Eye | Curatorial tour combined with a lecture on the life and work of Zofia Rydet
In "The World of Feelings and Imagination," Zofia Rydet reaches for surrealistic means to talk about subjects that are completely real: the threat of war, passing, but also about love, motherhood or hope. You won't find reportage photos here, which one would expect from the author of "Sociological Record." The series, which was created in 1968-1975, shows Rydet as an artist with poetic sensitivity, a master of her craft. The exhibition's curator, Karol Hordziej, has selected nearly 100 works for the exhibition, as well as a collection of photo fragments from which Rydet created collages. The author's guided tour will allow viewers to immerse themselves in the world created by the photographer.
"I don't know (time is relative)." - is an excerpt from Halina Poswiatowska's poem, which opens the album "Zofia Rydet's World of Imagination" containing photo-collages from the series. The second part of the meeting will be devoted to the analysis of this book.
Leading:
Karol Hordziej - Curator, cultural manager, lecturer, author of exhibitions and publications on photography and visual arts. Co-founder of the exhibition "Zofia Rydet. Record, 1978-1990" at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, also presented at the Jeu de Paume in Tours, France. For more than a dozen years, he has been substantively directing projects devoted to the comprehensive processing of artists' archives, including those of Jan Dziaczkowski, Zofia Rydet, Wojciech Plewinski, Zygmunt Rytka, Jerzy Kolecki and Władysław Hasior. Between 2004 and 2014, he co-created the program of the Krakow Photomonth Festival and the development strategy of the Visual Arts Foundation.
Dr. Maria Wąchała-Skindzier - Historian, museologist and museum educator. She is the author of a doctoral dissertation on the reception of the communist period in museum narratives in 1989-2017, defended at the Faculty of History of Jagiellonian University. She holds a degree in history from Jagiellonian University and a degree in museology from Jagiellonian University's Postgraduate Museum Studies. Qualified curator. Curator of exhibitions. For ten years she worked in the History and Art of Modern Krakow Department of the Krakow Museum, where she headed the "History of Nowa Huta" department in 2016-2019. She is the author of scholarly publications and exhibition catalogs, scenarios for museum lessons, historical walks, and curatorial tours, including those for children. Her research interests focus on memory, history of everyday life, heritage, cultural history and museology. She works at the Museum of Photography in Krakow.
Important information:
- Meeting for seniors and senior citizens (but other adult amateur photographers are also welcome)
- Place: MuFo Rakowicka, 22A Rakowicka St.
- Price: 5 PLN
- Duration: 1.5 hours.
- Number of participants: 25 people
- Registration through the online booking system: tickets.mufo.krakow.pl, by email at tickets[at]mufo.krakow.pl and by phone at 12 3957042 ext. 1226. Telephone booking possible from Tuesday to Sunday during the Museum's opening hours.
January 18, 2025, 2 pm
Moving pictures, montages of imagination | Movement workshop
Can an exhibition of photographs be interpreted and described through movement? During the workshop you will put elements of Zofia Rydet's "scattered visual vocabulary" into motion, composing in real time from different materials and materials - your own bodies, fabrics, elements of architecture, objects, etc. During the meeting you will work individually and in small groups, combining being in motion with observing and naming what you see.
Experience in dance and choreography is not required. The work will be done in an atmosphere of care and respect for the needs and limits of the participants. All ages and abilities are welcome.
Leading:
Alicja Czyczel - Choreographer, educator and social activist who creates educational and artistic processes during which she shares methods that strengthen the self-determination of individuals and communities through body work, dance and mindfulness practices. She holds a master's degree in choreography from ICI-CCN Montpellier and a master's degree in cultural studies from MISH at Warsaw University. Author of stage choreographies ("LAGMA"), sound installations ("Soak the World"), improvised performances and site-specific concerts ("The Bottom") and walks ("Liquid Ground"). A member of the Common Space initiative. As a dancer, she has collaborated with Daniel Kotowski, Anna Nowak, Joanna Piotrowska and Vincent Dupont. As a choreographer, she co-created "Trumpet to Listen," directed by Weronika Szczawinska at Wrocław Contemporary Theater and "Antigone in Molenbeek," directed by Anna Smolar at the Dramatic Theater.
Important information:
- Workshop for adults
- Place: MuFo Rakowicka, 22A Rakowicka St.
- Price: 50 PLN
- Duration: 2-3 hrs.
- Number of participants: 15 people
- Registration through the online booking system: tickets.mufo.krakow.pl, by email at tickets[at]mufo.krakow.pl and by phone at 12 3957042 ext. 1226. Telephone booking possible from Tuesday to Sunday during the Museum's opening hours.
January 21, 2025, 4:30 pm
Magic lanterns and diacopes | Lecture
What are magic lanterns and what is their history? During the lecture, Marek Maszczak, curator of the show "Magic Lanterns and Diascopes," will talk about these mysterious devices. We will trace their history - from the first mentions in the 17th century work of Athanasius Kircher "Ars Magna Lucis et Umbrae", through the prototypes created by Christiaan Huygens, to the 18th century constructions by Étienne-Gaspard Robert called Phantascopes. The presenter will talk about the use of lanterns by magicians, jugglers and necromancers, the famous Phantasmagoria displays, and the time when lanterns found their way into private homes.
Leading:
Marek Maszczak - Curator, has worked at MuFo since 1990. He specializes in the history of photographic technology and conducts research on historical photographic techniques. He has curated several exhibitions. He has amassed a unique collection of Polish and Soviet photographic equipment, as well as a large collection of digital and instant photography cameras.
Important information:
- Meeting for adults
- Place: MuFo Rakowicka, 22A Rakowicka St.
- Price: included in the price of admission to the show
- Duration: 1 hour.
- Number of participants: 20 people
- Registration through the online booking system: tickets.mufo.krakow.pl, by email at tickets[at]mufo.krakow.pl and by phone at 12 3957042 ext. 1226. Telephone booking possible from Tuesday to Sunday during the Museum's opening hours.
January 23, 2025, 11 am
Ferie in MuFo | The World in Pieces. Secrets of photocollages
What are photo-collages and how are they made? Why did Zofia Rydet reach for just such a means of expression? During the workshop you will see the artist's works and look for answers to the questions of what is the "world of feelings and imagination", whether the characters and objects in the photos hide some secrets and where do the boundaries of photography end.
During the workshop, participants will make their own collages.
Leading:
Anna Sidorska - museum educator. On a daily basis she works in the Education Department of the Museum of Photography in Cracow. For her, photography is a great tool for working with memory and emotions. In her work as an educator, the most important things for her are: meeting, conversation and mutual learning.
Important information:
- Workshop designed for children aged 7-12 years
- Place: MuFo Rakowicka, 22A Rakowicka St.
- Price: 20 PLN
- Duration: 1.5 hours.
- Number of participants: up to 15 people
- Tickets can be purchased through the online booking system: tickets.mufo.krakow.pl, by email at tickets[at]mufo.krakow.pl and by phone at 12 3957042 ext. 1226. Telephone booking possible from Tuesday to Sunday during the Museum's opening hours.
January 23, 2025, 6 pm
Photographic Women's Circle | Workshop
Join us for monthly workshops that provide a space to discover yourself and your potential through art and photography. You will learn about the stories and works of women whose works can be found in MuFo's collection, which will become the starting point for joint activities. Many inspiring activities await you - from creative exercises to develop imagination, to work with metaphor and visualization, to play with words. The author's creativity-boosting exercises will allow you to discover new possibilities for artistic expression, and homework assignments will become an extension of the creative adventure.
These workshops not only provide an opportunity for artistic development, but are also an opportunity to establish unique relationships in a circle of women who celebrate their work together.
Leading:
Małgorzata Pióro - artist photographer, educator, sociologist, art therapist, lecturer, certified trainer, trainer of "experiencing", trainer of Mark Kaminski's "Pole" method, facilitator and traveler. She is a person full of passion, positive energy and curiosity about the world. She makes her dreams come true. While traveling, she shares her enthusiasm and outlook on the world with the people she meets. She loves nature. She loves to taste coffee, music and capture moments in photographs. She enjoys challenges and adventures.
Important information:
- The workshop is designed for adult women
- Place: MuFo Rakowicka, 22A Rakowicka St.
- Price: 25 PLN
- Duration: up to 2 hours.
- Number of participants: up to 15 people
- Tickets can be purchased through the online booking system: tickets.mufo.krakow.pl, by email at tickets[at]mufo.krakow.pl and by phone at 12 3957042 ext. 1226. Telephone booking possible from Tuesday to Sunday during the Museum's opening hours.
January 25, 2025, 12:00 pm
"The world of feelings and imagination" and "Sociological record" by Zofia Rydet: between surrealist photomontage and reporter's record | Thematic tour with translation into PJM
The two series by Zofia Rydet, "World of Feelings and Imagination" and "Sociological Record," were created immediately after each other. From today's perspective, it is difficult to guess: the main matter of the earlier "World of Feelings..." is a photomontage of a lyrical nature, deeply anchored in the surrealist tradition, while the slightly later "Sociological Record" is a crude photo essay, not inclined to show emotion. Based on the works presented at the exhibition "Zofia Rydet. The World of Feelings and Imagination" will show the similarities despite the will between these, as it might seem, extremely different series. For Rydet's photographic language is not as uniform as it seems at first glance.
Wojciech Nowicki - writer, essayist, curator of photographic exhibitions. His book "Bottom of the Eye. Essays on Photography" (2010) was in the finals of the 2011 Nike Literary Award, and received the Polish Society of Book Publishers award. "Salki," published in 2013, received the Gdynia Literary Award in the essay category and was nominated for the Jan Michalski Prize for Literature. He also published: "Reflection" (2015), a collection of essays on portraiture in photography; an essay on World War I photography "Right next door" (2018), "Straits" (2019), nominated for the Gdynia Literary Prize and the Jan Michalski Prize for Literature. He received the Julian Tuwim Prize for lifetime achievement. He is also the author of photographic monographs, including "Jerzy Lewczyński. Memory of the Image" (2012), "Zofia Rydet. Sociological Record" (2017), "Plewinski. On Stage" (2018), "Plewinski. Reportage" (2021). In 2024 the album "Light Break. Leon Barszczewski, Maria Czaplicka, Kazimierz Zagórski. Photographs of Polish scientists and travelers" (in cooperation with Katarzyna Mirczak).
Important information:
- Guided tour for adults
- Place: MuFo Rakowicka, 22A Rakowicka St.
- Price: included in the exhibition ticket
- Duration: 1 hour.
- Number of participants: 30 people
- Registration through the online booking system: tickets.mufo.krakow.pl, by email at tickets[at]mufo.krakow.pl and by phone at 12 3957042 ext. 1226. Telephone booking possible from Tuesday to Sunday during the Museum's opening hours.
January 30, 2025, 11 am
Ferie in MuFo | What do the photos tell?
Did you know that Zofia Rydet took thousands of photos, and then cut them out and arranged unusual photo collages from them? Join us for a workshop where you will discover the secrets of her photography. You will have the opportunity to think about who the people in these photos were and what stories they could tell.
After visiting the exhibition, you will create your own collage-books to tell your personal stories.
Leading:
Maria Masternak - Art historian and museum educator. She heads the Education Department at MuFo. Scholarship holder of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. As part of the scholarship, she created a series of plays for preschoolers "It doesn't fit in the frame". In her work as an educator, the most valuable things for her are: meeting, conversation and interaction. She enjoys talking about art, museums and photography.
Important information:
- Workshop designed for children aged 7-12 years
- Place: MuFo Rakowicka, 22A Rakowicka St.
- Price: 20 PLN
- Duration: 1.5 hours.
- Number of participants: up to 15 people
- Tickets can be purchased through the online booking system: tickets.mufo.krakow.pl, by email at tickets[at]mufo.krakow.pl and by phone at 12 3957042 ext. 1226. Telephone booking possible from Tuesday to Sunday during the Museum's opening hours.
JOSHUA MUFO
January 20, 2025, 11 am
Ferie w MuFo | From photography to storytelling
Zofia Rydet created new worlds using photographs she had taken herself earlier, as well as scissors, glue and tape. This is how she created an extraordinary series of photomontages, which she called "The World of Feelings and Imagination." Sophie said of her works: "all the things I made are stories about a person."
During the workshop you will follow in her footsteps and create your own story in the form of a photobook. What will be in your world of feelings and imagination?
Leading:
Anna Sidorska - museum educator. On a daily basis she works in the Education Department of the Museum of Photography in Cracow. For her, photography is a great tool for working with memory and emotions. In her work as an educator, the most important things for her are: meeting, conversation and mutual learning.
Important information:
- Workshop designed for children aged 7-12 years
- Place: MuFo Józefitów, 16 Józefitów St.
- Price: 20 PLN
- Duration: 1.5 hours.
- Number of participants: up to 15 people
- Tickets can be purchased through the online booking system: tickets.mufo.krakow.pl or by card at the ticket machine in the MuFo Józefów branch.
January 27, 2025, 11 am
Ferie w MuFo | Masks of imagination
In some of the series that make up the "World of Feelings and Imagination" series, Zofia Rydet covered the faces of her characters with stone masks. Why do artists use such treatments and what role can masks play? During the workshop you will look for answers to these questions and create your own masks. Maybe you will be able to recreate Sophia's photo-collage in the form of a "living photograph"? We invite you to play together and discover the mysteries of photography.
Leading:
Maria Masternak - Art historian and museum educator. She heads the Education Department at MuFo. Scholarship holder of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. As part of the scholarship, she created a series of plays for preschoolers "It doesn't fit in the frame". In her work as an educator, the most valuable things for her are: meeting, conversation and interaction. She enjoys talking about art, museums and photography.
Important information:
- Workshop designed for children aged 7-12 years
- Place: MuFo Józefitów, 16 Józefitów St.
- Price: 20 PLN
- Duration: 1.5 hours.
- Number of participants: up to 15 people
- Tickets can be purchased through the online booking system: tickets.mufo.krakow.pl or by card at the ticket machine in the MuFo Józefów branch.