The Transformation of Gdańsk

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The city of Gdańsk has played an important role in the transformation of Europe. But the same thing that today makes us proud about our past, could very well be what makes us a monument in the future. A legacy enacted solely through commemoration does not constitute a creative starting-point for adapting to contemporary challenges. Gdańskian, Polish, or European. Gdańsk needs to transform. And Europe will play an important role in the transformation of Gdańsk.

The future of Gdańsk, like the future of Poland, and of Europe, is decided by how we take responsibility for the freedom that we’ve conquered. Freedom should not be taken for granted. A democratic society only survives if we question, express opinions and have meaningful discussions. If culture is a driving force.

The main idea of this project is to use the unique historical position and legacy of Gdańsk to promote significant European discussions on freedom and solidarity through culture. In doing so we develop Gdańsk into a future-oriented city of culture, where citizens participate and exercise their freedom.

We aspire to become European Capital of Culture to enable and celebrate the start of a new era in Gdańsk. An era where the citizens engage in culture and where culture is the instigator that transforms a city currently known for political events, to a city associated with the culture of freedom and the freedom of culture.

What are the city’s objectives for the year in question?

The title European Capital of Culture will change Gdańsk forever. It will permeate and transform the city on many levels, and lead to a change in how the city is perceived. It will give us the opportunity to realise our vision for Gdańsk as a city of culture.

Gdańsk in 2017 will b...

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Gdansk is a place where questions about freedom are asked – current, crucial and difficult ones. The citizens of Gdańsk and the artists creating here pose these questions and search for new models, redefining a contemporary meaning of freedom. This is why Gdańsk is the place where critical art is thriving.

We will engage in current discussions on European culture, in questions that are relevant for all of Europe. We view culture as a barometer, and as a vanguard of changes and development. We will use the culture’s capacity to transform an individual experience into a universal experience.

Our obligation deriving from the legacy of Solidarity is to remember the importance of culture for oppressed societies, how culture may be a catalyst for change.

We will promote the idea of everyday solidarity, that is, to practice the idea of solidarity on a daily basis.

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