Grolsch ARTBOOM Festival in Krakow September 25-October 9th 2015

It’s that time of year again! The streets of Krakow, and this year beyond, will be filled with contemporary art installations for the annual ARTBOOM Festival. Some pieces may be obvious, while others are hiding in the landscape of the city, all focusing on the central theme of bringing the countryside into the city landscape, and the influence of urbanity on rural culture.

Years ago, the city center of Krakow was surrounded by villages, farms, and livestock; in fact, not that long ago at all cows could still be seen grazing on the Blonia. So while the city seems large and bustling now, 100 years ago Krakow was only one-sixth its current size. As the organizers state in their program guide (which will be necessary for exploring the exhibits, especially for non-Polish speakers), “The notions of urban and rural accumulated many prejudices and stereotypes, and we would like to invite people to look at the relation between the two from a completely new perspective.”

The ARTBOOM program guide is available online and also at many of the exhibition areas. Below you will see just a small sampling of what this year’s festival has to offer, with exciting events like a Dog Parade on October 4th (much like the annual Dachshund Parade), and an interactive installation at Dworzec Glowny Train Station set to premier on October 2nd. The exhibits we visited were spread quite far around town; however, for anyone with limited time you will find many exhibits set up around the Main Market Squareand surrounding streets.

The House of Ferment

Artist: Karen Guthrie with Grizedale Arts