Visteria Foundation

Romantic Brutalism. A Journey into Polish Craft and Design.

Presented by Visteria Foundation and curated by Federica Sala

When Poland re-emerged on the world stage in 1918, following over a century of foreign rule, it sought to acclaim its identity by participating in the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. To celebrate the centenary of that event, the newly established Visteria Foundation, founded by the publisher and patron of arts Katarzyna Jordan, has coordinated a showcase of Polish craft and design at Milan Design Week. 

Newly established Visteria Foundation aims to help the creativity of Polish designers and artists gain international recognition. Katarzyna Jordan, together with her team, has long been the patron of the Polish Pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale, a partner of the Zachęta National Gallery of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

The inaugural show will take place in April 2025 during Milan Design Week. The exhibition, curated by Federica Sala, and the accompanying programme of events will introduce international audiences to key trends in Polish crafts and collectible design, allowing viewers to explore the evolution of Poland’s aesthetics and motifs from tradition to modernity. 

Organised with the invaluable support of Polish institutions, including the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the exhibition will provide a comprehensive overview of the new generation of Polish designers, connecting their work to the rich history and lineage of Polish craft and design. 

Through a series of curated encounters, the exhibition will underscore the importance of themes relating to nature and post-nature, and how historical influence of brutalism, romanticism, decadence, folk, and art deco continues to shape contemporary Polish design culture. The objects created by twenty-three selected designers will be presented in sections that emphasize the role of materials such as wood, glass, ceramics, steel, as well as lace and textiles.

A unique exhibition design, created by Zuza Paradowska from Paradowski Studio, resembling a theatrical set, will transform ten rooms, one outdoor terrace, and two corridors into a captivating experience.

“The ambition of this exhibition is to introduce the world to the rich tapestry of Polish design, going beyond famous names to reveal the lineage connecting its history to the present day. The aim is to illustrate how concepts such as nature, eternity, and transformation, and styles such as brutalism, romanticism, decadence, folk, and art deco are being reinterpreted and reimagined today, resulting in intriguing fusions, such as romantic brutalism or post-natural decadentism.”, said Federica Sala, curator of the Milan Design Week exhibition. 

Following its debut in Milan, the exhibition will travel to Warsaw and will be presented at the historic Gawroński Villa, which will become the permanent home of the Foundation and a private art and design museum.