WARSAW — Every day outside of a shop at 61 Mokotowska Street, an intriguing dance of sorts happens: A smattering of men and women of all ages walk out onto the sidewalk and smell the top of their hands or the inside of their wrists. Some smile, others look quizzical, and a few seem to simply get lost in thought. After a few moments, they re-enter the shop and, after a short interlude, the dance repeats. Read more
POZNAN, POLAND — The reception area of Grazyna Kulczyk’s private office looks a bit bare because many items have already been packed away. But the view is intact: the rooftops of Poznan, a city of brick buildings in west-central Poland. “It is a lovely view,” she said, smiling and looking out over the green park. Read more
LONDON–Over the years I have found it problematic to call myself an expat. And I really got to thinking about it after a recent article in the Guardian newspaper brought up the question of who is an expat and who is an immigrant. But the story didn’t answer for me the question I’m constantly struggling with: “Does the word expat define me?” I don’t think so. Read more
LONDON–PAWEL PAWLIKOWSKI HAS a terrible cold, and it’s little wonder. The 57-year-old Polish director and screenwriter has for several months been traveling the world promoting “Ida,” his Oscar-nominated film centered around a young novice nun who was raised as an orphan in a Catholic convent and discovers, on the verge of taking her vows, that she comes from a Jewish family with a tragic past. Read more
WARSAW, Poland — As with so many really good and really bad ideas, this one was conceived over a few beers.
Marta Kolakowska was sitting one evening in the upstairs office of her Warsaw art gallery, Leto, with two of her artists, Radek Szlaga and Honza Zamojski, talking half-seriously about applying to the Frieze Art Fair’s inaugural New York show in May 2012. Read more