Ostrzej widzieć. Fotoreportaże „itd” 1960–1990: Exploring Polish Life Through Photojournalism

This exhibition showcases around two hundred documentary photographs from the magazine 'itd', covering three decades of Polish life in the PRL era (1960-1990). It features works by prominent photojournalists, offering insights into social customs, cultural events, and everyday realities of that period.

The exhibition 'Ostrzej widzieć' (To See Sharper) presents approximately two hundred photographs from the student magazine 'itd', documenting Polish life between 1960 and 1990. The displayed works by twenty prominent photojournalists offer a multifaceted view of the PRL era, including diverse subjects such as a girls' reformatory, a healer's visit, Easter customs, hippie gatherings, mining construction, and Roma life. These images, often referred to as sociological photography, highlight the challenging realities, absurdities, and significant social and cultural shifts of the period. The exhibition celebrates the 60th anniversary of 'itd', a magazine focused on culture, social, and everyday issues. Throughout its publication history from 1960 to 1990, 'itd' consistently featured photo reportages, with the visual aspect being crucial to its identity. The selected works by photographers like Krzysztof Barański, Andrzej Baturo, and Jan Michlewski underscore their ability to capture the truth of everyday Polish life, often gaining access to places and stories that revealed the nation's authentic, albeit sometimes somber, reality. The exhibition also includes portraits of the photographers, magazine spreads, and archival materials, serving as a testament to the vital role photojournalism played in documenting a changing country and its people.

The exhibition was accessible until September 5, 2021, but personal visits were dependent on the epidemiological situation. A virtual version with audio guides is available.