Murals for the 30th Anniversary of the Visegrád Group

30 years of cooperation

In 2021, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Visegrád Group. Within its framework, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic focus on deepening international cooperation in the political, cultural, economic and social spheres. The second occasion marked simultaneously through the artistic form of four murals in the member states' capitals is the conclusion of Poland's one-year presidency of the V4.

A social dialogue on walls

The creative process was overseen by Warsaw-based Good Looking Studio, which was also responsible for executing the murals in Prague and Warsaw. The first step was selecting a group of artists to prepare mural sketches. The National Centre for Culture was most taken with the design created by Magda Miszczak, an illustrator and student at the Faculty of Graphic Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź. The colourful design depicts a group of people painting a wall with an inscription marking the 30th anniversary of the V4.

The first of the murals was unveiled in Warsaw, at Dobra 53 Street. The official unveiling in Powiśle was attended by, among others, the Minister of Culture, National Heritage and Sport, Piotr Gliński, the Director of the National Centre for Culture, Rafał Wiśniewski, and representatives of the Visegrád states.

The Director of the National Centre for Culture — this year's recipient of the Visegrád Prize — highlighted the role of murals in urban space, describing the entire project of four paintings as a new urban art gallery.

Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk also shared his thoughts on this form of communication: "The Visegrád Group encompasses many projects — not only political, but also social. The Visegrád Fund has been operating for over 20 years, and many projects have been realised through it. This mural, which we are unveiling in Warsaw, is also an element of dialogue with our societies," said the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs at the inauguration.

The Warsaw mural was unveiled first among the four works in the V4 capitals. Further official ceremonies took place in June in Bratislava, at Gorkého 3, and in Budapest, at Klauzál utca 32. The final work was revealed in the second half of July in Prague, at Stroupežnického 10. All four murals are on long-term display.

Initiators and project partners

The project was carried out in collaboration between the National Centre for Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport, and with the involvement of the Polish Institutes in Bratislava, Budapest and Prague. The execution of the murals in Warsaw and Prague was entrusted to Good Looking Studio.