Two new expressive projects by Polish artists are on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London from 13 September 2025. Alicja Patanowska’s ceramic installation “The Ripple Effect” and a survey of contemporary poster art “Polish Posters Now! Polish Poster Today!” are presented as part of the London Design Festival, one of the most important events dedicated to design in the world. Both initiatives are also part of the UK/Poland Season 2025 programme, prepared by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the British Council and the Institute of Polish Culture in London.
Ceramic installation ‘The Ripple Effect’ by Alicja Patanowska
Alicja Patanowska, creator of the acclaimed installation ‘We are the Weather’ shown in the Justus Lipsius atrium in Brussels, returns with a new project dedicated to the spaces of the V&A Museum. ‘The Ripple Effect’ is a seat situated on the edge of a pond in the John Madejski Garden, equipped with a subtle fountain. The project is designed to make viewers reflect on the consequences of everyday consumption and the long-term impact of natural resource exploitation on the environment and social relations.
The materials for the installation come from one of the largest deposits of mining waste in Europe, located in Żelazny Most in Lower Silesia. An organic seat was created from 2,000 handmade ceramic tiles, eight of which were covered with copper to symbolise the transition from waste to valuable resource. The project was initiated by Carrie Chan, curator of the V&A’s Contemporary Art Department, whose aim is to revitalise the museum space through a dialogue with nature and society.
The installation is open to the public from 13 September to 19 October 2025 and the presentation partner is the Polish Cultural Institute in London.
“Polish Posters Now! Polish Posters Today!” – voices of four graphic designers
In the exhibition space of the V&A Museum, 16 posters by Ola Jasionowska, Patrycja Longawa, Kai Renkas and Maja Wolna are on display in turn. The selection of works was made by Zorian Clayton, curator of prints and posters at the V&A Museum, who has been studying the development of European graphic design for many years. The exhibition aims to introduce London audiences not only to the aesthetic richness of contemporary Polish poster art, but also to the continuation of the tradition of the Polish Poster School, known for its concise style and strength of message.
Ola Jasionowska, artistic director of the City of Warsaw, presents posters ranging from social issues to the promotion of festivals and city parks. Her work is reminiscent of art déco and the ‘golden age’ of travel posters, while the symbol of the red lightning bolt has become the visual icon of the Women’s Strike campaign. Patrycja Longawa, winner of more than 120 awards at international biennials, creates posters mainly digitally, drawing inspiration from Hubert Hilscher’s imaginative graphics and promoting Polish galleries and exhibitions.
Kaja Renkas finds her roots in the surreal traditions of the Polish Poster School, combining anatomical, zoological and mechanical images taken from antiquarian books. He draws inspiration from the mining landscapes of Silesia, where he teaches at the University of Silesia. Maja Wolna, a professor of graphic design in Poznań, presents bright portraits of cultural icons, creating posters as ‘mental shortcuts’ – they must be legible and attract attention in the urban hustle and bustle.
Other exhibition projects are taking place as part of the season:
- 13 September – 8 November 2025 – the exhibition Radical Hope. Exhibition of works from Collection II of Arsenal Gallery in Bialystok at Golden Thread Gallery.
- 2 October 2025-opening of an exhibition of Polish photography at Belfast Exposed Gallery as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival.
- 9 October 2025 – opening of the exhibition “Zofia Rydet: Sociological Record’ at Photographers’ Gallery London.
- 31 October – 28 November 2025 – exhibition ‘Planetary Consciousness. Ecosystems of Concern’ at the School of Digital Arts, Manchester.
source: Adam Mickiewicz Institute
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