Łódź Museum of Art

The Łódź Museum of Art, established in 1930, is one of the oldest museums in Poland dedicated to collecting avant-garde and modern art. It operates across three branches: ms¹, ms², and the Herbst Palace Museum. The museum's history is closely tied to the "a.r." group and its creators, such as Władysław Strzemiński and Katarzyna Kobro, who began assembling a collection of modern artworks between 1929 and 1932. It was the first institution in Poland to publicly exhibit avant-garde art. In 1935, Marian Minich took over as director, expanding the collection with works of Polish modern art. After World War II, the museum moved to the Poznański family palace, where it remains headquartered to this day. Architecturally, the building stands out for its Neorenaissance style, with interiors adapted for exhibition purposes. The museum actively bridges art and social life through education and initiatives such as the *ms opus* project, which documents exhibitions, and the *ms club*, fostering a community around the institution. In 2014, the exhibition "Atlas of Modernity" reinterpreted and updated the meanings of the displayed works, abandoning the traditional chronological arrangement. The museum boasts the largest collection of 20th and 21st-century art in this part of Europe, featuring works by artists like Max Ernst, Joseph Beuys, and Alina Szapocznikow. Its historical collections also include masterpieces of 19th-century Polish painting, such as Rodakowski’s "Portrait of a Mother" and Michałowski’s "Napoleon on Horseback." Notably, the Łódź Museum of Art also hosts outdoor events, and its library offers an extensive collection of literature on art. Throughout its history, the museum has gained international recognition for its innovative approach to exhibitions, establishing itself as a key cultural landmark in Łódź and Poland.