Art has also become an inseparable part of the project, serving as a significant pillar of PURO activity. Since 2016, PURO Art Collection has been consistently developed, focusing on contemporary artistic forms that reflect the richness of Poland’s creative scene. The collection mirrors local contexts, builds engaging narratives, and reveals hidden meanings. Each new PURO hotel provides an opportunity to realize these ideas in diverse ways, offering space and a pretext for discovering new stories.
Art at PURO Warsaw Old Town weaves together two narratives—it draws from local inspirations while simultaneously looking northward. The proximity of the Grand Theatre – National Opera and the National Theatre, places pulsating with artistic life, became the starting point for the curatorial concept. The themes of theatricality, peering behind the scenes, and attention to detail permeate many of the exhibited works. Upon entering, guests are welcomed by a canvas from Cyryl Polaczek’s Reader series, created between 2023 and 2024. The artist captures our attention with the everyday, encouraging us to slow down and allow ourselves a moment of respite. The composition operates primarily through mood, built with subtle details and texture. The minimalist, almost monochromatic scene conceals a mystery, evoking a melancholic yet soothing atmosphere. The attentive gaze of the titular Reader observes the daily spectacle unfolding in this space.
The interiors of the hotel are designed with openness and a seamless flow between spaces. We effortlessly move from one area to another, noticing their mutual connections. Opposite the communal lounge space, a work by Agata Bogacka is displayed. This is a place that almost invites guests to pause and contemplate the canvas. From this perspective, in relation to the interior architecture, we once again experience the sensation of peering at a stage through a slightly opened curtain. Bogacka’s painting is an intriguing spectacle—an abstract composition built from geometric forms that initially appear as a stable structure. However, upon closer inspection, they reveal a dynamic, controlled chaos—shifting, overlapping, and interacting. The colors in her works collide and harmonize simultaneously, creating subtle tonal transitions and striking contrasts. This serves as a visual metaphor for the complexities of divisions and relationships—both interpersonal and societal.
Moving further, we encounter a work by Cezary Poniatowski. This is one of several pieces exhibited at PURO Warsaw Old Town that go beyond traditional painting and venture into sculptural forms. In his relief-based works, the artist uses unconventional materials such as artificial leather, carpets, and construction materials. The materials evoke a sense of home and the everyday spectacle of life, reflecting human presence.
For this project, we also invited Swedish artist Ferdinand Evaldsson. He created a diptych for PURO, inspired by many intertwined and familiar themes. Trained in icon painting, his works stand out for their rich symbolism, treating the creative process as a means of working with memory and recollection—both personal and collective. His wooden reliefs depict two complementary scenes exploring different aspects of myths, including the sisterhood of the Warsaw and Copenhagen mermaids. Themes of coexistence and elements of the underwater world also appear in Mother of Pearl by Marcin Janusz, a piece that tells the story of the circulation and transformation of matter. The composition combines the richness of nature with reflections on the relationship between humans and their environment. Using unconventional materials such as sugar, Janusz creates sensory works that engage not only sight but also evoke associations with taste and touch.
Theater and its symbolism appear in the abstract paintings of Karolina Bielawska, inspired by the experimental Triadic Ballet by German painter and theorist Oskar Schlemmer. Bielawska explores and interprets the mask as a key element of theater, carrying a symbolic dimension and balancing between revealing and concealing emotions. Both the interior architecture and the façade of the Grand Theatre – National Opera and the National Theatre served as significant sources of inspiration for the artists. Paulina Włostowska, whose works can be found on every floor of the hotel, references the post-war tradition of decorative textiles in public spaces, drawing inspiration from details of the Grand Theatre’s interiors. Her compositions reference the plant motifs in jacquard fabrics that adorn the theater’s lounge upholstery and the moon-like metalwork surrounding the stage. Architectural details from Theater Square also appear in the works of Mikołaj Moskal, displayed in the guest rooms. His compositions resemble amphoras, chalices, and classical column forms—architectural elements visible in the immediate vicinity of PURO.
A tribute to the heritage of the Grand Theatre is also present in Nicolas Grospierre’s 50/50 photographic series. The artist unveils hidden and inaccessible technical spaces of the theater, exposing its structural corners, which also carry symbolic meaning. As we reach the very heart of the theater, Grospierre portrays it as one of Warsaw’s cultural symbols.
The recovery of a place’s memory and the exploration of historical layers are also central to Anna Orłowska’s artistic practice. Her photographs of an 18th-century historic residence, displayed on the first floor, capture tensions between the old and the new. The artist examines how historical continuity is constructed. A chandelier captured in her frame becomes a universal motif—characteristic of both private and public spaces, naturally corresponding with Grospierre’s works.
The work of the featured artists captivates through their sensitive approach, expressed in their close relationship with materials and inspirations drawn from nature. By using natural materials, subdued colors, and minimalist forms, they attribute special significance to light, which becomes an essential element in perceiving their art. These qualities align with the tradition of Scandinavian craftsmanship, where harmony with nature and simplicity of form are fundamental to artistic expression. The hidden meanings within these works gradually reveal themselves, unfolding over time—like a performance just beginning to take shape.
