Art that confronts rather than decorates
Memory, violence, religion and politics, some of it deliberately provocative.
Mocak — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ingo Mehling — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Andrzej Otrębski — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nelle Ariano — CC BY 2.0
With time for only one on a first visit, Schindler's Factory — its exhibition on Kraków under Nazi occupation is among the strongest things in the city and deserves half a day. MOCAK is for those who specifically like contemporary art, or who have been in Kraków long enough to move past the essentials.
With care. The museum runs children's workshops and has dedicated spaces, but some works in the galleries address violence, sexuality and religion frankly. It is best to ask on arrival about what is currently showing if you are with children.
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A contemporary art museum in the former industrial district of Zabłocie, built on the grounds of Oskar Schindler's factory and directly beside the factory itself. The location is not accidental and the museum does not ignore it: it opened in 2011 in industrial buildings redesigned with sawtooth roofs admitting steady north light. That a contemporary art museum stands on this particular ground is a statement in itself. The collection concentrates on Polish and international art since the 1960s, and its programme addresses difficult subjects openly: memory, history, violence, religion and politics. Some works are deliberately provocative, which is worth knowing before going in. A practical point: contemporary art is not for everyone, and this museum in particular does not offer beautiful work for quiet contemplation. Those who like the field will find one of the best in Poland. Those who do not will find Schindler's Factory immediately next door, an entirely different experience.
Memory, violence, religion and politics, some of it deliberately provocative.
Sawtooth roofs admitting steady north light in redesigned buildings.
The two in one day, and they are opposite experiences entirely.
Lipowa street, Zabłocie, beside Schindler's Factory