The Complete Kachu. The Art of Kazimierz Ostrowski.

Gdynia City Museum
05.07.2026 – 28.02.2027
Vernissage: 04.07.2026, 18:00
Kachu in the city: 5.07.2026

To become an artist, you must first become a human being.

Kazimierz „Kachu” Ostrowski

On July 4, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., the Gdynia City Museum invites you to the opening of the monographic exhibition “Kachu Totalny: The Art of Kazimierz Ostrowski,” which marks the culmination of a long-term research project and is a key part of Gdynia’s centennial celebrations.

Kazimierz “Kachu” Ostrowski (1917–1999) was an outstanding artist, a pioneer of the postwar avant-garde, and a charismatic professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk.

Having spent most of his life in Gdynia, he uniquely blended the international language of geometric abstraction with the city’s local, port-based identity. His magnetic personality lives on today in the memories of generations of artists whom he taught and inspired.

Kazimierz „Kachu” Ostrowski, fot. S. Krywald. Photograph from the atrist’s family collection.

The Dimensions of Totality: A Major Retrospective of Kazimierz Ostrowski

The exhibition “The Complete Kachu. The Art of Kazimierz Ostrowski.” will engage many of the senses. The museum halls will be filled with a colorful display featuring geometric forms that reflect the artist’s unique style. The exhibition was organized in collaboration with cultural institutions and the artist’s family.

The event showcases four main areas of the artist’s work.

The first of these is easel painting, which includes, among other works, early pieces from the 1940s, works created during a fellowship at Fernand Léger’s studio in Paris, and mature compositions from the 1990s.

Another element is monumental painting, presented through photographs, designs, and archival documentation of large-scale compositions that still adorn the walls of buildings in urban spaces today.

Artistic textiles form an important part of the exhibition, including tapestries and materials illustrating the process of their creation, from concept to finished work.

The exhibition is rounded out by the artist’s private archives, which include previously unpublished sketches, photographs, and family mementos.

Port of Władysławowo, Kazimierz „Kachu” Ostrowski, 1975, MMG/SZ/297

The exhibition “The Complete Kachu” is more than just a traditional display

The visitors will be able to:

– Immerse yourself in an audiovisual installation featuring music by Sławek Jaskułke and visuals by Filip Ignatowicz, produced in collaboration with the Gdańsk Academy of Music and the Gdańsk Academy of Fine Arts.
– Explore interactive educational zones such as “Color,” “Perspective,” “Composition,” and “Drawing” to get an inside look at the painting process and experiment with art on your own.
– See the spectacular mobile by Patryk Hardziej—a spatial installation over twenty meters long filling the stairwell.

Promotional posters for the exhibition “The Complete Kachu. The Art of Kazimierz Ostrowski.” Design: Patryk Hardziej.

Related events:

Vernissage
4.07.2026 / 18:00

Guided tour of the exhibition by curator Agnieszki Drączkowskiej – Gradzik
5.07.2026 / 14:00

Kachu in the city
5.07.2026 / 10:00 – 20:00 (The official program will be available soon.)

A wide range of educational activities

The exhibition is accompanied by a wide range of educational activities throughout the year, designed for visitors of all ages. Parents and children will be able to participate in workshops organized as part of the “Family Day” series. Sensory activities are planned for the youngest children, while preschoolers aged three to six, accompanied by their caregivers, will enjoy an interactive guided tour of the exhibition.

The program also includes activities for young people and adults, such as guided tours, lectures, and workshops on sculpture, linocut, and painting, which will take place at the Port of Gdynia.

Fish, Kazimierz „Kachu” Ostrowski, 1960-1969, MMG/SZ/2420

Exhibition curator: Agnieszka Drączkowska-Gradzik

Art historian. Employed at the Gdynia City Museum since 2017, currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Projects Department. A researcher of 20th-century architecture and author of academic and popular science articles. Co-author of an architectural guide to the Pomeranian Voivodeship, to be published by the National Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning in 2026. Curator and co-curator of exhibitions devoted to art, design, and local history, such as “Karol Śliwka. Polish Designs, Polish Designers” (2018), “Kino Warszawa and Other Buildings That Became Biedronka Stores” (2019), and “The Legend of Radmor” (2020). Her projects and publications have won awards and distinctions in competitions such as Historical Event of the Year, Visible Museum, and Most Beautiful Book of the Year. Author and coordinator of projects co-funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

The Complete Kachu. The Art of Kazimierz Ostrowski

Curator and coordinator: Agnieszka Drączkowska-Gradzik

Exhibition Design Concept: Dorota Terlecka, Wiktoria Krawczyk / Biuro Kreacja
Exhibition graphic design and visual identity: Patryk Hardziej

Honorary patronage: Prezydent Gdyni Aleksandra Kosiorek

Strategic Partner: Invest Komfort

Technology Partners: Ecophon Saint-Gobain, Exon Computer Systems, Davis Fabrics, Dekoma
Partners: Miasto Gdynia, Akademia Sztuk Pięknych w Gdańsku, Akademia Muzyczna w Gdańsku, Teatr Muzyczny w Gdyni

Media Partners: Radio Gdańsk, TVP3 Gdańsk, TVP Kultura, Gazeta Wyborcza, Pismo, Weranda, Trojmiasto.pl, Prestiż, Zawsze Pomorze

Project Team

Production: Marta Borowska-Tryczak

Activities and educational zones: Olga Lewandowska, Patrycja Wójcik, Dorota Dombrowska-Wyżga

Promoction: Katarzyna Anielska, Michał Miegoń, Antonina Tucka

Conservation care: Aleksandra Sobczyk, Marzena Markowska

Queries: Agnieszka Drączkowska-Gradzik, Weronika Mojska, Bartłomiej Ponikiewski, Gabriela Zbirohowska-Kościa

Editorial: Agnieszka Kochanowska
Translation: Anna Moroz

Technical consultations: Rafał Frankowski
Montage: Robert Szymanowski, Mateusz Kozielecki, Kacper Wiśniewski, MAT95, Mapalu

„The Complete Kachu. The Art of Kazimierz Ostrowski” exhibition was co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage using funds from the Culture Promotion Fund—a state-administered special-purpose fund.