Greater Poland Week

Presentation of Greater Poland through Art, Science, and Cuisine – with the Participation of Local Leaders, Universities, and Artists

From September 24 to 30, the Greater Poland Voivodeship Week will take place at the Polish Pavilion. During this period, visitors to the Exhibition will have the opportunity to participate in daily workshops at the Polish Pavilion, where they can try their hand at wicker weaving, painting bags with traditional Krajna motifs, and decorating Christmas ornaments.

The Pavilion’s space will also feature performances in costumes from the cult comic book Kajko and Kokosz by Janusz Christa, as well as daily screenings of the first episode of the Netflix series of the same title, in cooperation with the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute. In addition, the Pavilion will host the presentation of a regional artifact – a replica of the helmet from the collections of the Museum of the Origins of the Polish State in Gniezno, known as the “Szyszak Helmet”. This object refers to Greater Poland as the cradle of Polish statehood, since it was found in the mid-19th century in marshland near the village of Giecz – a former stronghold of the first Piasts. Such an early medieval helmet was typically worn – most likely by the ruler – and was designed to catch the sunlight so that the figure wearing it would be clearly visible on the battlefield. This allowed subjects to more easily locate their leader and follow his commands. The original is housed in the Archaeological Museum in Poznań and is widely recognized as one of the most important material relics of the cultural heritage of the first Piasts.

Moreover, at Expo, the broader public will have the opportunity to experience the work of two outstanding cultural institutions from the region – the Polish Dance Theatre and the Polish Radio Amadeus Chamber Orchestra.

The program includes:

• Concert by the Polish Radio Amadeus Chamber Orchestra (September 30, 6:00 PM, Pop-Up Stage Inner East). The repertoire includes: Wojciech Kilar – Orawa, Henryk Wieniawski – Violin Concerto (arr. A. Duczmal), Yasushi Akutagawa – Triptych. Performers: conductor Anna Duczmal-Mróz, violinist Agata Szymczewska (winner of the 13th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition in Poznań), and the Polish Radio Amadeus Chamber Orchestra.
• Two performances of From the Hat by the Polish Dance Theatre (September 24 and 25, 7:00 PM, Pop-Up Stage Inner East). The performances immerse the audience in a memory session, revealing hidden meanings of past events.
• Photography exhibition Natural Histories (September 27–29, Festival Station/Experimental Events Booths), featuring 16 photographs of Polish Dance Theatre dancers taken by Andrzej Grabowski in the Poznań Zoo, created for the publication Natural Histories dedicated to the “human–animal” relationship.

It will be an incredible week full of diverse attractions!