Visit Lodz with Fotofestiwal
Every year we say that at Fotofestiwal you commune with art and… with Lodz. We build the festival map so that you can see locations that are often inaccessible on a daily basis, discover certain places anew. Now we are upping the ante and adding information about each of these places.
In cooperation with Justyna Tomaszewska, one of Lodz’s best-known and best-loved guides, we have created descriptions with interesting facts about each festival location. Below is a sample of these texts – and look for more near the exhibition descriptions.
Art_Inkubator, Tymienieckiego 3, festival center
The factory is part of Księży Młyn, the “city within a city,” the “Polish Manchester.” Scheibler senior built here the largest textile plant in this part of Europe, familias (in Lodz terms, workers’ houses), palaces, hospitals, schools, parks. The work was later developed by Karol Scheibler II, who erected factories precisely at Tymienieckiego and Milionowa Streets. The buildings that now house the Fotofestiwal’s exhibitions and offices served as warehouses for finished and unfinished fabrics, a sewing room and warehouses for the former finishing plant.The factory has preserved the original tracks with Russian gauge. You can find them near the passage to the Fusion.
Casablanca, Podrzeczna 2/4 (Night of Photography, 14.06 21:00)
Going to the festival event – look around. On the building you will find a girl with a basket of fruit. The building where Casablanca is located was built in 1954 in the style of Socialist Classicism. It is decorated with works made using sgraffito, a decorating technique that involves scratching out patterns on successive layers of plaster. At 2/4 Podrzeczna Street one can spot players, a woman with a sheaf of grain and another with a basket of fruit, a potter, a woodcutter, a girl with gooseberries in a basket. Next door, you may still be able to spot a miner, a steelworker, a bricklayer, a scientist and a woman by a tractor.
Art Book Museum, Tymienieckiego 24 (23rd birthday of Fotofestiwal: Ikarvs, Tropical Basses, Mentalcut, 15.06 21:00)
The museum is located in the villa of Henryk Grohman, the son of one of Lodz’s most powerful factory owners, who developed the company after his father’s death. He was also a great patron of the arts. He held concerts in the salon, and Ignacy Paderewski, among others, played here. Witkacy used to visit here. His art collection included a Stradivarius violin, commonly known as a “Lauterbach,” which today is worth about $10 million. During World War II, they were placed on deposit at the National Museum in Warsaw. After the war, the Germans deported the instrument. In 2022, the National Museum was approached by an anonymous owner. Research and attempts to determine the rightful owner are currently underway.
All the Fotofestiwal places:
Art_Inkubator, Tymienieckiego 3
Freeing Program, Open Program, Photoghraphic Books Program, the first photographic exhibition for children Photography is Everywhere, Photo-Match, movies, concerts, meetings
City Art Gallery in Łódź – Bałucka Gallery, Stary Rynek 2
Łukasz Rusznica – When You Look Me In The Eyes Twice, I’ll Spread My Lips Or Clench My Fists / Photos From IPN Archives
Hilary Majewski Tenement House, Włókiennicza 1
Przemek Dzienis – Good Grief & Dovilė Dagienė – Botanizerka
Wschodnia Gallery, Wschodnia 29/3
Jerzy Grzegorski – Impermanent Pleasures
Museum of the City of Lodz, Ogrodowa 15
Iosif Király – Old Memories Are Getting More Persistent
Szklarnia Gallery, Lodz Film School, Targowa 61/63
Grzegorz Wełnicki – No’am: Journey Toward Life
City Art Gallery in Łódź – Re:Medium Gallery, Piotrkowska 113
Weronika Gęsicka – ENCYCLOPAEDIA
Łódź Photographic Society – the Eugeniusz Haneman Photo Gallery, Piotrkowska 102
Magdalena Hueckel – Nudes
Academic Design Center, Księży Młyn 13/15
The 3rd Artistic Schools Review, North-South
Wozownia Gallery 1/5 & Biedermann Palace, ul. Franciszkańska 5
Różycki / Omulecki / Talaga – Exercitia photosophicalia. Photosophical Activities
Old Market Square
Polowka in the Old Market – Night of Photography: slideshows of the British Journal of Photography competition, Futures’ Talents 2024, PhMuseum and Krzysztof Ostrowski live
Casablanca, Podrzeczna 2/4
Casablanca Night DJ Lesu
Book At Museum, Tymienieckiego 24
23 Fotofestiwal’s birthday in Book Art Museum: Ikarvs live, Mentalcut, Basy Tropikalne
Urban Activity Factory, Tuwima 10
Project: New Home #Lodz | post-workshop exhibition
Willa, Żeromskiego 117
Afterparty: Disko Zakvas
Ravekjavik United, Niciarniana 52
partner event
Enjoy your visit!
