The exhibition 'Self-portraits' presents contemporary realisations of the genre, going far beyond the representations of artists' likenesses to which classical art history has accustomed us. Among the works produced in a variety of techniques (painting, sculpture, photography, sound installation, etc.), we will find both highly personal works and those that are part of a broader analysis concerning the artist's place in...

The exhibition will feature works by twenty artists: Paweł Althamer, Mirosław Bałka, Agnieszka Brzeżańska, Rafał Bujnowski, Barbara Falender, Izabella Gustowska, Zuzanna Janin, Łukasz Korolkiewicz, Katarzyna Krakowiak-Bałka, Zbigniew Libera, Rafał Milach, Jarosław Modzelewski, Agnieszka Polska, Katarzyna Przezwańska, Karol Radziszewski, Joanna Rajkowska, Wilhelm Sasnal, Jadwiga Sawicka, Aleksandra Waliszewska, Artur Żmijewski.

The presentation of contemporary self-portraits is a reference to the idea, realised by Count Ignacy Karol Korwin-Milewski a century ago, of creating a collection of self-portraits of Polish painters of the 19th century. These corresponding projects show the continuity of the tradition of artistic culture and the importance of private patronage. The exhibition is the culmination of a project initiated by the previous director of the National Museum in Warsaw, Prof. Łukasz Gawel, Ph.D., and the Association "Friends of the National Museum in Warsaw". Through charitable auctions of works of art, charity dinners and other forms of statutory activity, the Association has raised funds among its supporters, partners and members to purchase the works that make up the collection.

With this exhibition we would like to invite a dialogue on the latest trends in art, the 21st-century redefinition of the role of the artist, the artwork and the institution of the museum itself. "Self-Portraits" is an exhibition of contemporary art that often refers to the current social and political situation in a direct way and provides an artistic commentary on the world we live in every day. The exhibition at the MNW therefore contains content that could potentially be considered sensitive, such as references to difficult experiences or nudity.