Poland’s first street art museum is being established in Łódź. The Urban Forms Museum of Street Art, which has so far mainly operated in urban space and on the internet, is preparing to open its stationary premises at 3 Wolności Square. The event is scheduled for October.
Łódź has been one of the most important points on the map of European street art for years. The murals created by artists from Poland and abroad have become part of the city’s landscape, being its showpiece and an element of its identity. The Urban Forms Foundation, responsible for many of these creations, set up a museum in hybrid form as early as last year. Its exhibition hall is the city’s streets, and its digital library and archive is an online platform collecting documentation of artistic heritage. The museum’s activities to date have focused on creating digital resources. The project’s website features more than 150 digitised murals, an educational blog, a catalogue of works and suggestions for virtual tours. It also hosts workshops, training for guides and curatorial walks.
The new headquarters of the street art museum is set to expand the formula of activities. It will include exhibition spaces, an information point and a shop with souvenirs related to street art in Łódź. The institution is to become a meeting place for creators and lovers of street art, as well as a space for dialogue and exchange of experiences. The Urban Forms Foundation has been working for years with renowned artists such as Bordalo II, Eduardo Kobra, Aryz, Os Gemeos, Guido van Helten and NeSpoon. Their works scattered throughout the city are not only colourful accents in public spaces, but also narratives that tell the identity of a place. The foundation’s activities also include social, educational and revitalisation projects that link art to the local community.
The Urban Forms Museum of Street Art is a project funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. It is an innovative initiative that strengthens Lodz’s position as an important centre for urban art in Europe, while emphasising the importance of street art in building the image of an open, creative and inspiring city.
Photos: Urban Forms Museum of Street Art
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