Joanna Mytkowska, director of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw (MSN Warsaw) since 2007, discusses the museum's first year in its new building designed by American architect Thomas Phifer. Located in Warsaw's Central Square near the Palace of Culture and Science, the white modernist structure opened last fall with performances and the collection exhibition "The Impermanent." Mytkowska reflects on the museum's controversial reception among local audiences, its role in Poland's political debates—including being mentioned during the recent presidential election campaign—and the institution's long-standing ambivalence toward artistic canons rooted in its close ties to Warsaw's progressive artistic community.
This interview matters because MSN Warsaw's new building has become an architectural and political landmark in a city undergoing rapid transformation, symbolizing Poland's post-Communist evolution and current cultural tensions. Mytkowska's leadership through eight years of right-wing populist rule and the museum's positioning at the center of national political discourse highlight the critical role art institutions play in shaping democratic debate and national identity. The museum's upcoming exhibitions, including the Kyiv Biennial 2025 and "The City of Women," underscore its commitment to international contemporary art from a local perspective.