September brings a return to the rhythm of the city, and with it, the opening of this autumn’s artistic season. Starting 18 September, the spaces of the Institute of Creative Industries (IPK) at 65 Mińska Street in Warsaw will host the exhibition Tilda Swinton – Ongoing – one of the year’s most significant and anticipated cultural events in Poland.

September marks a traditional period of new beginnings –  a return to theatres, cinemas, galleries, and museums. Standing out on Poland’s autumn calendar is a multidimensional exhibition dedicated to the global icon of cinema and contemporary art, Tilda Swinton and her creative relationships. Invited by Malta Festival, the artist brings to Warsaw a project that, following its presentations at Amsterdam’s Eye Filmmuseum and Athens’ Onassis Ready, will be shown to the Polish public for the very first time.

The Art of Relationships and Creative Community

Tilda Swinton – Ongoing is not a conventional retrospective. It is a story of nearly four decades of creative friendships, collaborations, and artistic dialogue with the most prominent figures of contemporary cinema and art. Set across nearly 1,000 m² of raw space in a former printing house at 65 Mińska Street, visitors will discover objects, installations, and projections created in collaboration with masters such as Pedro Almodóvar, Luca Guadagnino, Joanna Hogg, Derek Jarman, Jim Jarmusch, Olivier Saillard, Tim Walker, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

The exhibition presents the artist as we have never seen her before. Archival collections offer an intimate glimpse into the early stages of her career, featuring items such as the dress she wore to the Venice premiere of Sally Potter’s Orlando in 1993, a handmade press kit created by Tilda and Sally as they pitched to co-producers in Cannes, and a pocket mirror given to Tilda by Derek Jarman.

Cinema plays a central role in the exhibition space: visitors can attend screenings of The Human Voice directed by Pedro Almodóvar, while film enthusiasts can immerse themselves in short films created specifically for the exhibition by Jim Jarmusch, Luca Guadagnino, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

An Industrial Modernist Landmark as a New Backdrop for Art

An additional highlight of the exhibition is the location itself –  the newly opened Institute of Creative Industries (IPK) space in Warsaw’s Praga district. The complex of the former printing plant, an outstanding example of industrial modernist architecture, provides a unique backdrop for the experience. Listed on the heritage register, the facility enters a new chapter following decades of industrial activity, taking its place among the capital’s most captivating cultural destinations.

Timed Entry Slots and Visitor Comfort

The exhibition will run until 17 January 2027 (Monday through Thursday from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM). Admission is organised through a flexible system of timed entry slots.

Tickets are available at eventim.pl. Detailed information about the event can be found on the official website: tildaswintonongoing.pl.

The exhibition is organised by Malta Festival – one of Poland’s most prominent and recognizable cultural festivals, patroned by Dominika Kulczyk. For over 35 years, the festival has shaped contemporary culture by fusing theatre, dance, music, film, and performing arts. The presentation of Tilda Swinton – Ongoing in Warsaw marks another milestone in the festival’s long-standing collaboration with the British artist.

Photo (diptych): Joseph Sacco’s Oeil de Jeune Femme, 1844 / Tilda Swinton; Fashion: Zac Posen, Francesco Scognamiglio and Gaspar Gloves, Houston, Texas, 2014 © Tim Walker