Explore 'Kolekcje XXI wieku': A Series of Collecting Workshops at Royal Łazienki Museum

This series of workshops and walks, held from April to August 2022, explored various forms of collecting, from African masks and botanical specimens to insects, aquarium life, and birdwatching. Each event offered insights into different collecting practices and allowed participants to engage hands-on with the subjects.

The "Kolekcje XXI wieku" (21st Century Collections) was a series of workshops and walks designed for individuals aged 16 and over, running from April to August 2022 at the Royal Łazienki Museum's Ecological Education Center in the New Orangery. Each event delved into a distinct theme related to collecting, encouraging participants to explore, understand, and engage with various objects and practices. Themes included the significance and cultural context of African masks, the art of creating botanical herbariums and collecting plants, the observation and virtual collection of insects and arthropods, the world of aquariums and popular fish species, and the practice of birdwatching and ornithological photography. The series aimed to inspire curiosity about collecting in contemporary ways, moving beyond traditional museum displays to personal engagement and exploration. Specific dates and expert-led sessions were detailed for each themed workshop, such as mask analysis with ethnologist Dr. Lucjan Buchalik, herbarium creation with botanist Dr. Joanna Gałązka, insect observation with educator Igor Siedlecki, aquaristics with biologist Radosław Pomagalski, and birdwatching with ornithologist and writer Stanisław Łubieński.

Admission was 10 PLN per workshop. Tickets could be purchased at the museum's ticket offices in Podchorążówka, the Old Orangery, and Kubicki Stables during specified operating hours.