An open-air exhibition of images from the six-month Cultural Programme of the Polish EU Presidency is up along the gate to Warsaw's Łazienki Royal Park from the 1st of February through the end of the month
The photographs capture events of three major flagship projects initiated by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute: I, CULTURE Crafts, I, CULTURE Orchestra and Planet Lem, which toured European capitals and travelled to two Asian metropolies – Tokyo and Beijing.
The International Cultural Programme of the Polish EU Presidency 2011, was carried out as a mandate of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage under the tagline I, CULTURE. It grew into the largest ever promotional project in the history of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Poland’s first-ever presidency of the EU Council was an ideal opportunity to develop the Polska brand and to foster the country’s image in the international arena as a modern and unique nation with a rich heritage and burgeoning contemporary culture. It was the perfect chance to present Poland as a creative enclave of Europe.
The Presidency focused around six major flagship projects initiated by the Institute and drawn from the life and works of major Polish artists and thinkers - Czesław Miłosz (Miłosz Audiobook series), Karol Szymanowski (Szymanowski Concert Series) and Stanisław Lem (Planet Lem Tour), as well as Poland's role in the forging of future talents within the Eastern Partnership (I, CULTURE Orchestra), the cultural significance of traditional handiwork and crafts (I, CULTURE Contemporary Craft Workshop) and the exploration of the Polish creative character through a brand-new documentary film series (Guide to the Poles).
The promenade along the gate is a popular weekend venue and it is also strategically located across the road from government buildings and embassies.