Outdoor exhibition: Poster competition for the 19th Chopin Competition

During the Chopin Competition, Warsaw becomes, as Jerzy Waldorff wrote, ‘the most extraordinary city in the world, enchanted and intoxicated by music’. In this spirit, we invite you to visit the poster exhibition accompanying the 19th edition of this prestigious event, which marks the symbolic beginning of its 100th anniversary celebrations. 

The history of Chopin posters is an important chapter in the development of the Polish school of poster art and its communication with the rest of the world. A beautiful tradition has grown and evolved on the basis of the designs accompanying the Chopin Competition, which in its nature is a discussion between the present and the past. In 2024, fifteen artists from around the world took up the challenge of creating a poster for one of the oldest and most recognisable piano competitions in the world. The winning design by Dr Marcin Władyka, a teacher at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, captivated the jury with its clarity of message and subtle references to the composer's iconography. All submitted designs are presented alongside the winning entry. Designed by Dr Jakub Marzoch, the exhibition tells a fascinating story of how diverse interpretations of Chopin's music and its contemporary visual readings can be – from classic approaches to bold graphic experiments.

We invite both listeners of the Chopin Competition, as well as passers-by and art lovers to visit the exhibition in front of the Czapski Palace (Krakowskie Przedmieście 5) from 13 October to 13 December 2025. This is an excellent opportunity to take a short walk through the world of visual arts between competition auditions and see what colours and shapes Chopin's music takes on in the imagination of contemporary artists. Admission to the exhibition is free.

The exhibition is co-organised by the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.