The department has extensive documentation of exhibitions presented in the Zachęta and Kordegarda Galleries since 1950. The material documenting exhibitions is comprised of: invitations, catalogues, posters, placards, press releases, plans of the exhibition rooms with the locations of works exhibited, lists of works exhibited, photographic documentation (press conferences, exhibition openings, exhibitions, individual works) and press reviews. The documentation department also collects information about the work of Polish artists, active both at home and abroad after 1945. It has information concerning over 26.334 people. This archive is ever expanding with the systematic collection of the names of young artists. The installation of the programme InfoArt as a database system is currently underway. This is a specialised programme for the entry, maintenance and locating of information regarding artists and artistic events.

In the documentation department are also to be found:

• a photographic archive – slides and photographs (black, white, colour, negatives) documenting exhibitions organised in Zachęta after 1950 and the works of individual artists;
•  a collection of catalogues of exhibitions presented in Zachęta – about 1130 catalogues – and in Kordegarda – about 600;
• publications linked to the activities of The Society for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts: reports, guides, catalogues – 209 items;
• a card index of galleries active in Poland.

The department organises the facultative course, ‘The Organisation and Documentation of Exhibitions’, for students of the History of Art at Warsaw University.

The library of Zachęta National Gallery of Art is collecting books concerning art and related fields, catalogs of exhibitions held in Poland and abroad, and magazines (Polish and foreign) devoted to the art. Library’s collection includes publications in Polish language as well as foreign languages. The library offers also bibliographical help and guidelines.

Collections of the library and documentation department are being made available to the reading room. Renting of magazines and books is possible only with order slips of interlibrary lending. Catalogues are available only in the reading room.


OPENING HOURS
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m.

Documentation Department: floor 2, room 29 and 31
Librabry: floor 1.1


CONTACT:

documentation department
Julia Koszewska – head of department
; phone 48 22 / 556 96 78
Sebastian Madejski ; phone 48 22 / 556 96 40
Inez Piechucka ; phone 48 22 / 556 96 86
Karolina Zychowicz ; phone 48 22 / 556 96 72
Gabriela Świtek (currently absent)

library
phone 48 22 / 556 96 78
Julia Koszewska
Aldona Głowala