2015-2020. Poland
Videos
Piotr Wójcik/Picture Doc
2017, Warsaw
“The Hidden Sculpture”
Tomasz Górnicki, sculptor and creator of the “The Hidden Sculpture” project, places his works in urban spaces where — as he puts it — they belong best. One such installation appeared in Solec, in Warsaw’s Powiśle district. The artist treats the city not merely as a backdrop for art, but as a space for dialogue, where a sculpture can be discovered by chance, outside the confines of galleries, museums and the official art circuit.
His works appear in alleyways, on walls, by gates and in places that often escape the daily attention of passers-by. They are neither announced nor accompanied by extensive commentary — they are intended to work through surprise, scale, material and their relationship with the surroundings.
13 December 2016, Warsaw
“Stop the destruction of Poland”
A march organised by the Committee for the Defence of Democracy (KOD) under the slogan “Stop the destruction of Poland”, held on the 35th anniversary of the imposition of martial law. Participants gathered at the de Gaulle roundabout, where they observed a minute’s silence for the victims of martial law and sang the Polish national anthem, before marching to the Law and Justice party (PIS) headquarters.
The demonstration was an expression of opposition to the actions of the PiS government following the 2015 elections. The march was attended by supporters of KOD, representatives of civil society organisations, Citizens of the Republic of Poland, women’s groups and pro-democracy circles. The banners featured slogans referring both to the memory of martial law and to the current political situation, including “Freedom, I love and understand”, “We will not give up our rights, we will take back what has been taken from us” and “I am marching so as not to be imprisoned”.
On the same day, other gatherings linked to the anniversary of 13 December also took place in Warsaw, including a demonstration by right-wing groups and the PIS.
A few days later, a parliamentary crisis erupted in the Parliament.
16–17 December 2016, Warsaw
This is the National Assembly
An overnight protest by the opposition in the Sejm following the exclusion of Civic Platform MP Michał Szczerba from the deliberations by Marshal Marek Kuchciński. The immediate cause of the crisis was a dispute over restrictions on journalists’ work in parliament and the conduct of deliberations. Opposition MPs blocked the podium in the plenary chamber, demanding that MP Szczerba be reinstated to the session and that the planned changes regarding media presence be withdrawn.
After several hours, the Speaker moved the sessions to the Column Hall, where votes where held, including the 2017 budget bill.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the parliament building to protest against the actions of the ruling majority and the restrictions on the transparency of parliamentary procedures.
The events of the night of 16–17 December 2016 became a symbol of the growing conflict over democratic standards, opposition rights and media freedom in Poland.
11 June 2016, Warsaw
“Equal Rights – A Shared Cause” – Equality Parade 2016
The 16th Equality Parade – an annual demonstration in support of LGBT+ rights, equal treatment, personal freedom and an open society – took to the streets of the capital. The event was held under the slogan “Equal rights – a common cause”.
The parade set off from the vicinity of the Palace of Culture and Science and passed through the centre of Warsaw. The march was attended by civil society organisations, activists, parents of LGBT+ people, representatives of women’s, pro-democracy and civic groups, as well as some opposition politicians.
The Mayor of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz of the Civic Platform, once again declined to act as patron of the Parade, a decision criticised by the organisers and equality groups.
The 2016 Equality Parade was not only a colourful procession but also a political and social demonstration. A voice against homophobia, discrimination and the marginalisation of minorities.
2016, Warsaw
“Łączka” – a secret burial site for victims of communist terror
“Łączka” at the Powązki Military Cemetery — Plot “Ł”, one of the most important memorial sites for the victims of communist terror in Poland.
Between 1948 and 1956, the bodies of political prisoners murdered or who died in the Mokotów prison on Rakowiecka Street were secretly buried here. Among them were Home Army soldiers, members of the Polish Underground State, Warsaw Uprising fighters and members of the post-war independence underground.
For decades, the site remained almost invisible. In later years, the area was partially covered with earth, and from the 1970s onwards, new graves began to be dug there, which made it even more difficult to locate the victims’ remains. It was only after 1989 that ‘Łączka’ became a symbol of restoring the memory of people sentenced by communist courts and erased from official history. Since 2012, the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) has been conducting archaeological, exhumation and identification work here and the remains of hundreds of people have been found.
“Łączka” as a place of remembrance, mourning and historical reckoning — a space where, after years of silence, the names, biographies and dignity of the victims of communist terror are being restored.
2016, Warsaw
“I must act” – preparations for the Black Protest
The Black Protest — one of the largest public demonstrations in Poland since 1989. The protests were a response to the Parliament’s decision of 23 September 2016: the rejection of the citizens’ bill “Let’s Save Women”, which sought to liberalise abortion laws, and the referral for further work of the “Stop Abortion” bill, which proposed a near-total ban on abortion and the possibility of punishing women.
Across Poland, women and those supporting their rights began organising demonstrations, solidarity actions and a strike announced for 3 October 2016, later dubbed Black Monday. Black clothing became a symbol of opposition — a sign of mourning, anger and protest against attempts to tighten abortion laws. In the run-up to the event, banners, slogans, information materials and support networks were created, bringing together feminist and civic circles, local activist groups and people who had not previously been politically active.
It demonstrated the scale of opposition to the restriction of reproductive rights and triggered a new wave of civic mobilisation. A few days after the nationwide strike, the Parliament rejected the bill proposing a total ban on abortion.
2016, Warsaw
Citizens of the Republic of Poland – Paweł Kasprzak on the association’s activities and its founding
Paweł Kasprzak, co-founder and one of the leaders of the Citizens of the Republic of Poland movement, talks about the founding of the association, its aims, and the forms of civic resistance to the government’s actions following the 2015 elections. Citizens of the Republic of Poland grew out of protests in defence of the Constitution, the independence of the courts, civil rights and the democratic standards of the state. One of the group’s first public actions was a demonstration outside the Presidential Palace on 5 February 2016, linked to the crisis surrounding the Constitutional Tribunal and criticism of President Andrzej Duda’s actions.
From the outset, the movement has focused on open, peaceful civil resistance, a presence in the public sphere, and a willingness to face legal consequences for actions taken in defence of democratic principles. Since March 2016, Citizens of the Republic of Poland have organised counter-demonstrations against the Smolensk monthly commemorations on Krakowskie Przedmieście, opposing the authorities’ appropriation of public space and the use of state ceremonies for political ends.
In the interview, Kasprzak speaks of the need for active citizenship, solidarity and the defence of democratic institutions during a growing political crisis.
One of the most important civil protest movements in Poland since 2015 — alongside KOD, women’s movements and other pro-democracy initiatives.
2016, Krasnogruda
“The Mystery of the Bridge”
In Krasnogruda Park — a performance organised by the “Borderland – Arts, Cultures, Nations” Centre and the Borderland Foundation at the International Centre for Dialogue in Krasnogruda, in a place associated with Czesław Miłosz and the idea of the meeting of borderland cultures.
The event was the culmination of the “Village of Bridge Builders” programme. In 2015 and 2016, community workers, artists, young people and residents worked together to prepare activities centred on the symbolism of the Invisible Bridge — a bridge understood not as a structure of stone or steel, but as a process of building relationships, trust, memory and coexistence. For years, “Pogranicze” has treated Krasnogruda as a laboratory for dialogue: a place where the languages, traditions, religions and histories of Central and Eastern Europe meet.
The audience took part in an event set against the backdrop of Krasnogruda: the manor house, the park, the amphitheatre and the symbolic space of the bridge.
Winter 2016/2017, Warsaw
Duty. Krzysztof, a cyclist from Kostrzyn on Odrą, protests outside the Parliament
A picket and citizens’ protest outside the Parliament following the parliamentary crisis of 16 December 2016. Members of Obywatele RP, KOD and other pro-democracy groups held a vigil outside parliament, objecting to the way bills were being processed, the restriction of media access to the Sejm and the violation of the state’s democratic standards.
One of the participants was Mr Krzysztof from Kostrzyn on Odrą. He cycled to Warsaw, initially to see for himself what was really happening there. Cycling was his passion — as he said, it didn’t matter whether he cycled 50 or 1,000 kilometres. When he saw the people gathered outside the Parliament, he decided to stay. Despite the cold and a lack of preparation for a longer stay, he remained at the picket line alongside Citizens of the Republic of Poland, viewing his presence as a civic duty.
Mr Krzysztof’s story illustrates the everyday, human dimension of that protest: alongside the large demonstrations and political disputes, there were the individual decisions of people.
