Polish Pavilion at London Design Biennale "Records of Waiting: on Time and Ornament"

London Design Biennale kicks off on June 5th! We invite you to visit the Polish Pavilion and explore the exhibition "Records of Waiting: on Time and Ornament." For several years now, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute has been showcasing Polish design solutions at the London Biennale.

📖 About the exhibition:
The present is seemingly defined by relentless speed and scarcity of time, and yet we find ourselves trapped in a constant state of waiting. The project “Records of Waiting: on Time and Ornament” explores the politics and the tension of suspended time, transforming this intangible state into tangible form. Drawing from the Polish Highland tradition of woodcarving – originating from shepherds carving intricate patterns during prolonged periods of waiting – it reimagines this ornamental practice as a visual record of passing time.

Not everyone gets to wait equally. At the heart of the exhibition you will find an installation whose wooden surface portrays various experiences of waiting: evokes the slow toil of bureaucratic delays, the quiet tension of social crises, the practiced patience of a taxi driver or a night watchman, and the mind-numbing repetition of daily traffic. Shaped by the hands of artisans and school students, each segment of the installation uses detailed ornamental patterns to reflect the duration and intensity of these scenarios, creating an ornamental landscape of our waiting society. By combining research on the social dimensions of waiting with the aesthetic language of ornamentation, the exhibition uncovers how temporal experiences not only reflect our place in society, but also shape it. Woodcarving, reinterpreted as a record of waiting, reveals the hidden temporal rhythms of a world that moves rapidly yet at an unequal pace.

👥 Curatorial and Research Team: Jakub Gawkowski, Monika Rosińska, Maciej Siuda
Design: Maciej Siuda Pracownia
Graphic Design: Noviki
Woodcarvers: Józef Bukowski, Anna Bukowska, Wojciech Bachleda-Dorcarz, Magdalena Bilczewska-Wiśniewska, Jan Kassowski, Michał Kassowski, Szymon Kassowski, Stanisław Kośmiński, Wojciech Łacek, Andrzej Mrowca, Marcin Rząsa, Franciszek Rząsa, Students of Antoni Kenar State Secondary School of Fine Arts in Zakopane, Students of Dr Władysław Matlakowski Construction School in Zakopane

Organizer: Adam Mickiewicz Institute
Partner: Polish Cultural Institute in London

The project is co-funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

📍 Address: Somerset House, Strand, Londyn WC2R 1LA
⏰ Opening Hours:
5 JUN Preview, 12–16PM
6–29 JUN, 11AM–6PM

🎟️ TICKETS:
👉 https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/london-design-biennale-2025
Ticket Types:
5 June Preview + Catalogue: £55
General Admission (Mon-Thu) Advance £22 | Full price £27
General Admission (Fri-Sun) Advance £24 | Full price £29

Concession (Student, Disabled, Job Seeker, 60+, Teacher) Advance £19.00 | Full price £24.00

Youth 16-25 (Mon-Fri) £10.00
Child (12-15) £5.00
Child (11 and under) Free

Preview Tickets
Be the first to see the biennale on Opening Day, Thursday 5 June! Preview tickets include a copy of the catalogue to collect on the day of your visit. Limited availability.

Youth (16-25) Weekday Tickets
A limited number of tickets is available to young people aged 16-25 years old for weekday visits, Monday to Friday. Grab yours now before they run out!

Also check out other Exhibitions in London, Arts events in London, Fine Arts events in London.