NÓW at BWA Olsztyn - DIALOGUE OF FORMS

The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between BWA and the NÓW. New Craft Association, aimed at reopening the conversation around craft, its contemporary relevance, potential, and position within the field of art. The project highlights the revival of craft as a constantly evolving discipline that combines workshop practice with conceptual reflection, and manual sensitivity with experimentation. At the heart of the exhibition lies the question of what contemporary Polish craft is today and what role it plays within contemporary visual culture.

The first edition of the project explores the relationships that emerge at the intersection of nature, material, and the act of creation. Its point of departure is a connection with nature and a profound understanding of material as the foundation of the creative process. Craft is presented here as a model of conscious making, grounded in respect for the natural environment and shaped by an attentive approach to the origin and properties of materials.
The makers invited to participate in the exhibition represent a wide range of materials, techniques, and working methods. What unites them is a particular attentiveness to the creative process, materiality, and the relationship between hand, tool, and idea. Although formally distinct and rooted in individual experiences, their works form a shared narrative about craft as a space for exploration, experimentation, and conscious action. “Dialogue of Forms” becomes a meeting place for diverse practices and perspectives, a space of exchange between tradition and contemporaneity, function and expression, craft, art, and design.

The exhibition also inaugurates a new cycle of collaboration between BWA Olsztyn and NÓW, aimed at creating a platform for dialogue and exchange around contemporary Polish craft. It is an invitation to collectively reflect on creative processes, materiality, knowledge transmitted through practice, and emerging directions in the development of craft in Poland.

Curator: Monika Sadowska

Opening: 18 June 2026 (Thursday), 6:00 PM
Exhibition dates: 18 June – 2 August 2026
Craft artists:
Anna Bera, Monika Dąbrowska-Picewicz, Katarzyna Harasym, Justyna Kosińska, Agata Marchlewicz, Olga Milczyńska, Aleksander Oniszh, Igor Polasiak, Jakub Święcicki, Lidia Stanek-Wichlińska, Marcin Wichliński, Beata Wietrzyńska, Dawid Żynda