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Museum of Modern Art

Cracow, Poland, 2007

The project is not only a Museum but at the same time a memorial site. It is a memorial site not only for those who surrvived and remember, but also for those whose imagination has been inspired with illustrations of the past. Contemporary art is not alien to this place. Similarly to Jews, Slaves and Comunists, contemporaray art was hated by german nazis; and here artists, painters, writers, composers and architects were persecuted, and forced to emigrate or murdered in concentration camps. Their works were confiscated, prohibited for exposition and publication, publicly burned on stacks like in inquisition times.

This Museum links the memory of the past, encapsulated within the buildings of Schindler´s Factory, with the new developement containing modern theme. Buldings once belonging to Schindler´s Factory are mostly sustained and serve administration, media and educational functions. The new developement is an art gallery. It is not only an art gallery, but a frame for the whole complex. It is its shield. It assures, that the memory about Schindler´s Factory will be protected and preserved.

One of the first expositions in Schindler´s Factory should be ´´Degenerated Art'', a collection of works confiscated by the nazis and banned for exposition. It will be living proof, that besides the harassement from the nazis, Schindler´s List has saved those who were sentanced for annihilation and even with the nazis hate towards contemporary art it was saved and will blossom once again.

Architect:
Zvi Hecker, Architekt, Berlin

Client:
Office of the Chief City Architect, Capital city of Krakow

Area:
ca. 8,600 m2

Competition:
2007

Structural consultant:
Florian Foerster, Buro Happold, Berlin

Collaborators:
Ingmar Faber, Paolo Fontana, Nadine Hill, Aleksandra Kuboś, Konrad Lewacki, Maciej Lewicki, Justyna Mintus, Ido Segal, Duncan Marsden, Matteo Arnone