Znaki Czasu Centre of Contemporary Art in Toruń
Toruń has an impressive list of tourist hits, topped by Gothic architecture, the Old Town inscribed on the UNESCO list, places associated with Nicolaus Copernicus and the famous gingerbread, now with its own attractive museum. Since 2008 the city’s showpieces have also included the Centre of Contemporary Art Signs of the time, erected near the Old Town. This kind of neighbourhood presents an obligation and limitation on the one hand and a challenge to overcome stereotypes on the other. Edward Lach, the author of the architectural concept, managed to create a work that at once draws upon the historic surroundings, but is also a manifesto of modernity. The result of this combination is a cubic edifice divided into modules with a glass cylinder sheltering the winding staircase. The Gothic heritage is echoed by the dark-red brick facades and the sloping roofs.
Inside there are three floors of vast exhibition space, an indoor amphitheatre, multimedia auditorium, classroom, bookstore, library with a reading room, café and a terrace. The facility if free of architectural barriers and fully accessible for disabled people.
The Centre is neither a museum nor a gallery in the traditional sense. It is a place for artistic and social meetings, dialogue with contemporary art and its contemplation in a relaxed atmosphere. The main objective of the CCA is to build a permanent collection of the most interesting 20th- and 21st-century works of art by artists from the region and beyond.
The wide formula of the Centre brings visitors closer to contemporary painting, sculpture, graphics, drawing, performance, photography, video and computer art, music, multimedia, film, theatre, dance, architecture and design.
Being surrounded by art inspires you to independent thinking and creative activity. These are the objectives of the “Art Is Looking for You” studio, which is a venue for workshops, meetings, dramas and museum games that enable the audience of all ages contact with the media used by modern artists.
Another interesting initiative is the “Room with a Kitchen” – functional space for creative rest combined with a design gallery. This is a place where the local community can integrate by celebrating everyday life and its little rituals such as eating, reading, chatting over coffee, playing with children, taking part in workshops and other joint activities.
The scale and importance of the project were appreciated by the jury of the 3rd contest Poland Even More Beautiful. Seven Miracles of EU Funds in the Venue category.
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