Editor's Note: These are courtesy translations of local news provided by the U.S. Army Garrison Poland Public Affairs team for the benefit the military community stationed here. Views or opinions are not endorsed by USAG Poland or the U.S. Army.
Andy Warhol Retrospective to Open at Stary Browar on September 11
The legendary pop artist will be the subject of the exhibition "Andy Warhol: A Kind of Retrospective," which opens on September 11th at the Pop Culture Gallery in Stary Browar. The exhibition will feature a selection of works and materials from private and institutional collections.
On three floors of the gallery, visitors will see original graphics, Polaroids, films, sketches, archival advertisements, and Warhol-designed album and "Interview" magazine covers. Some of the works for the Poznań exhibition are being provided by the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. This is a rare opportunity to see works from the American institution's collection – most exhibitions in Europe are organized in collaboration with the Warhol Museum in Slovakia.
Curator Wojtek Piotr Onak focused not only on the results of Warhol's creative work but also on its sources, tracing the stages of the Pittsburgh boy's transformation into a pop culture icon. The exhibition on the first floor of the Pop Culture Gallery will be devoted to the life experiences that shaped the artist: relationships within a family with immigrant roots, a childhood on the American periphery, illness, entry into the world of New York bohemia, and queer identity.
This room will feature a biographical film, a timeline of key events in Warhol's life, interview excerpts, photographs, and early works not previously publicly displayed in Poland, including a lithograph of a portrait of Greta Garbo from 1954. The exhibition will also explore how the artist consciously constructed his own image and transformed his presence in the world of art and pop culture into a coherent artistic project.
"Andy Warhol: A Kind of Retrospective" is an exhibition built around a key question: how did the work of one artist permeate so many areas of contemporary life, and why do his visions still resonate with such power? Instagram, YouTube, reality shows, selfies, viral content, online tabloids, and TMZ—the entire world today operates according to the principles Warhol discerned and set in motion decades ago," emphasizes Wojtek Piotr Onak, curator of the exhibition. "Serialism, the staging of everyday life, fluid media identity, the economy of visibility—all of this has already happened. Only in the black and white of a Polaroid, in a thirteen-hour action-free film, in an artificially captured smile on a screen print. Contemporary pop culture is his work, even if he doesn't know it."
Although primarily associated with painting and screen printing, Warhol wasn't a one-technique artist. The centerpiece of the first-floor exhibition will be large-scale video installations from the 1960s "Screen Tests" series, courtesy of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. These are cinematic portraits of Salvador Dalí and model Nico, both regulars at Warhol's studio.
On the upper floor, viewers will see a selection of works and artifacts in which Warhol explored themes of popular culture. Campaigns for fashion houses, a collection of dozens of vinyl covers, and over 50 "Interview" magazine covers designed by Warhol are reminders that his early career was rooted in advertising and commercial graphics. The wallpaper "The Cow" and works featuring the image of Mao are examples of his multiplication and play with format. The Souper Dress—a dress printed with a Campbell's soup can—symbolizes the blurring of the lines between art and product. Original Polaroids from the 1970s and 1980s demonstrate formal experimentation on an intimate scale. Marilyn Monroe will also be featured—the star's image will be seen in unusual and rarely exhibited projects, such as a graphic depicting the actress's lips from 1964 and the animation "You Are the One" created on a Commodore Amiga computer.
The king of pop art in the pop culture gallery
The exhibition "Andy Warhol. A Kind of Retrospective" will open with a vernissage on September 11, 2025, at 7:00 PM and will run until February 28, 2026. The exhibition is part of the long-term program of the Pop Culture Gallery in Stary Browar – a space dedicated to multidisciplinary exhibition projects at the intersection of art, fashion, and design.
Previous exhibitions here include the virtual reality exhibition "Björk Digital," a David LaChapelle photography exhibition, a Gianni Versace retrospective, and an exhibition on the history of sneakers organized in collaboration with the Design Museum in London. The space has also hosted works by Polish artists such as Ryszard Kaja, Noriaki, and members of the Polish School of Posters.
"Stary Browar, a place where fashion, consumption, and art are not mutually exclusive, but mutually supportive and mutually stimulating—is the ideal context for presenting Andy Warhol's work," notes Joanna Tupalska, Marketing Director at Stary Browar and producer of Pop Culture Gallery exhibitions. "This exhibition was our dream. We thought we would have to wait a few more years for its realization. The success and high standard of our previous exhibitions, the coherence and uniqueness of the curatorial program created by Wojtek Piotr Onak, the professional production facilities, and the experienced team—all this opened doors for us and allowed us to gain the trust of private collectors and prestigious American institutions. And so: a dream come true—Andy Warhol at Stary Browar. We invite you to Pop Culture Gallery to look at his work from new, unconventional perspectives and discover how relevant the reflections and diagnoses hidden in the colorful graphics and experimental films of the silver-haired genius remain."
The exhibition is being created in collaboration with private collectors. Tickets are 20 PLN and will be available at the gallery entrance. Admission is free on the first Tuesday of the month. A "1+1 Free" promotion is available for students and seniors from Tuesday to Thursday. Free admission is also available for those with receipts from Stary Browar stores and outlets worth at least 90 PLN.
Poznań Breaks Tourism Records With Over 5.3 Million Visitors in 2024
Over 1.2 million tourists stayed overnight in Poznań last year. Including those who didn't stay overnight, the capital of Greater Poland welcomed over 5.3 million guests.
These are record-breaking numbers – estimated based on data from mobile devices. Nearly three-quarters of the tourists who stayed overnight in Poznań were residents of Poland. Just over 25% were guests from other countries. They came primarily from Germany (over 88,000), the USA (approximately 49,000), and the UK (44,000), but also from Ukraine, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and France.
Most tourists (over 140,000 on average) booked accommodation in the city during the holidays, especially in August and June, as well as in October - the month when marathon runners from all over the world ran through Poznań.
Among the attractions in the capital of Greater Poland, Termy Maltańskie was unquestionably popular, attracting over 1.4 million visitors. Many also visited the zoo (over 708,000) and the Palm House. Tourists were also drawn to the Christmas Market at the Poznań International Fair, Maltanka, and the Musical Theatre.
Poznań Airport also broke records – 2024 was its best year ever. Over the past 12 months, 3.6 million passengers passed through the airport, with the highest number (over 472,000) in August. Passengers from Poznań most frequently flew to London Stansted and Luton airports, and to Warsaw. Munich and Frankfurt am Main were also popular destinations, while charter flights most frequently departed to Antalya, Turkey, Hurghada, and Marsa Alam (Egypt).
More information at badam.poznan.pl .
BitterSweet Festival to Bring Post Malone, Nelly Furtado and More to Citadel Park
From August 14th to 16th, Citadel Park will transform into the most emotional venue of the summer. BitterSweet Festival promises to be a true celebration of music – over 60 artists from around the world will perform, and the festival village will come alive with four stages and five DJ zones. Headliners include Post Malone, Nelly Furtado, Empire of the Sun, Natasha Bedingfield, Hurts, Peggy Gou, Melanie C, Taco Hemingway, Bedoes 2115, Loreen, and Rag'n'Bone Man. The program is complemented by social and educational activities implemented in partnership with the Sexedpl and Unaweza foundations (Young Heads project).
From the outset, BitterSweet Festival has been designed to become one of the most important summer music events in this part of Europe. It's a project that combines pop culture with a space for social dialogue, celebrating nostalgia and modernity. Featuring four stages, concerts by global headliners, it also provides a venue for debuts, showcases, and important conversations.
A world-class festival - in the heart of Greater Poland
BitterSweet Festival 2025 is attracting the biggest names in world and Polish music to its stages. The main stage will feature the world's biggest stars: American giant Post Malone, who will play in Poland only at the Citadel; pop queen Nelly Furtado, returning after a 17-year hiatus from the Poznań stage; and Taco Hemingway with his only concert in 2025. The lineup for this stage also includes: Rag'n'Bone Man, Empire of the Sun, Hurts, Loreen, Bedoesa 2115, Ella Eyre, Natasha Bedingfield, and Julia Wieniawa.
The Enea Stage – the festival's second main stage – will feature new wave and dance electronica. Featuring Japanese experimental DJ ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U, Two Feet, Melanie C, Jann, Sara James, Marc Rebillet, Viagra Boys, Jan-rapowanie, Duke Dumont, Apashe, and the eccentric Salvatore Ganacci.
The remaining two stages feature debuts, art, and important conversations. The Next Fest Stage is a venue for newcomers, selected in conjunction with the Next Fest Music Showcase. Featuring artists such as Wiktor Dyduła, Maz Univerze, NXDIA, Shama, Zippy Ogar, and simply Kajtek & Boron, this is the place for those who want to hear what's coming to their headphones next.
The Eventim Stage, a social and artistic venue, offers encounters with high culture and emotions. Performances will include the Blue Jazz Orchestra (a tribute to Komeda), the Musical Theatre with their "Kombinat" concert, the Poznań Philharmonic with Agata Szymczewska, and Marcin Masecki & Boleros. Daily, intimate BitterSweet Talks will take place here – meetings with artists about emotions, the body, identity, and mental health. Guests will include Julia Wieniawa, Aleksandra Domańska, Woo Lozowski, Wiktor Dyduła, and (as moderators) Joanna Flis and Andrzej Silczuk – experts from the Sexedpl Foundation and Unaweza (Young Heads project).
The Citadel's music scene is also expanding with five partner DJ zones, including the Jelenia Stage, Crunchips Silent Disco Stage, Go Wild Zone, and Bank Pekao's Level Wyżej! Zone. In total, over 40 DJ sets will be held in these partner zones.
Not only music
The second pillar of the festival, alongside music, is its socio-educational mission. The BitterSweet Talks project, co-created with Sexedpl and Martyna Wojciechowska's Unaweza Foundation (Young Heads project), addresses issues of mental health, emotions, the body, boundaries, and relationships. The festival grounds will feature Safe Spots – areas for relaxation, calm, and pre-psychological first aid; Safe Crew members trained in safety; visible rules ("House Rules"); and educational and panel spaces. The campaign's slogan is "Take care of yourself, have fun, and come home safe."
All this makes BitterSweet Festival not just a musical event, but a community where the most important things are: presence, empathy and experience - both of the sounds and of each other.
A bittersweet weekend in Poznań
That's not all – the festival experience with art will be brought together by an international team of artists from the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University of Arts in Poznań. The organizers have also made sure that event participants have plenty of time before the gates of the Citadel open – a program of accompanying events in the city center will be announced soon, as well as the results of collaborations with restaurants that have prepared special offers for festival wristband holders.
The official BitterSweet Festival app is now available for download on Android and iOS. It's a must-have for anyone who wants to stay on top of the festival—with concert schedules, artist descriptions, and news.
The full program of events and tickets are available on the websitewww.bittersweetfestival.pl .
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