We present the full program of the exhibition “SHELTERS, COVERS, SLITS – It’s somewhere further away, don’t worry. And now closer, even closer.” This is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in spaces under the surface of Grunwaldzki Square that are not accessible on a daily basis.
FULL PROGRAM:
Friday, November 14
Exhibition opening hours: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 15
Opening hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
11:00 a.m. – guided tour for the public in Polish
led by: Yuriy Biley and Paulina Brelińska-Garsztka
3:00 p.m. – guided tour for the public in English
:Led by: Marta Czyż and Stanisław Kolouszek
Sunday, November 16
Opening hours: 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
11:00 a.m. – guided tour for the public in Polish
led by: Marta Czyż and Stanisław Kolouszek
3:00 p.m. – guided tour for the public in English
Led by: Yuriy Biley and Paulina Brelińska-Garsztka
The main part of the exhibition will be held in a former shelter under the tenement house at 87 Maria Skłodowska-Curie Street, where the artist lives. Biley proposes a vision of adapting this place for common use—as a space of care, sharing, and safety. The exhibition will include installations, collages, and video works.
The two other locations of the exhibition include Kacprzak Park on Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego, where the remains of the former shelter infrastructure are located, and the shelter under the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Medical University of Silesia in Wrocław at 5 Bartla Street. The latter deserves special attention due to the rich history of the building itself. In the interwar period, it housed the “Charitasheim” sanatorium run by German nuns. After World War II, a nursing high school was established there. Today, Bartla 5 is home to the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Medical University of Wrocław, which educates students in fields such as nursing, midwifery, and emergency medical services.
We invite you to meetings during which the artist, curators, and experts will take you on a walk through the hidden spaces under Grunwaldzki Square. Registration is already open—this is a chance to discover something that remains invisible on a daily basis.
The title of the project refers to three different forms of shelter, and the quote from Antoni Słonimski’s poem, “It’s somewhere further away, don’t worry. And now closer, even closer,” invites us to take a closer look at what is right next to us. Both the name and the quote encourage us to explore the topic of security in its most immediate, everyday form. In this spirit, on November 13 at 6:00 p.m. at Barbara at 8B Świdnicka Street, there will be a lecture entitled “On Disappearing Bunkers.” Stanisław Kolouszek, historian and researcher of fortifications, long-time president of the Wrocław Fortification Association, will present the history of German and Polish People’s Republic shelters and their role and presence in urban memory.
What role can culture play in building society’s resilience in the face of growing threats? Translated into English, the panel “Aware and Resilient: The Power of Culture in Times of Crisis” will invite discussion on the importance of civic education, solidarity, and the protection of cultural heritage in difficult times. The event will take place on November 18 at Barbara. The panel will feature:
- Kateryna Semenyuk, art manager and curator from Kyiv, co-founder of the Past / Future / Art memory culture platform,
- Creator of the exhibition “SHELTERS, HIDING PLACES, CRACKS – It’s somewhere further away, don’t worry. And now closer, even closer” Yuriy Biley,
- Dr. Wiktoria Malicka – cultural anthropologist, specialist in the protection of Polish cultural heritage abroad, member of the Council of the UA Future Foundation,
- Lt. Col. Ryszard Mach, Director of the Lower Silesia-Opole Regional Board of the National Defense League.
The discussion will be moderated by Paulina Maloy, project and international cooperation coordinator, formerly associated with the Krzyżowa Foundation, the Edith Stein House, and the Wrocław Institute of Culture, among others.