Gdańsk councilors plan to merge two cultural institutions: Gdańsk City Gallery and Łaźnia Contemporary Art Centre. Employees and the artistic community oppose this.
Employees will lose out
The decision to merge the two cultural institutions was approved by Gdańsk councilors last month.
The project was proposed by the city’s president, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz. In her justification, she stated, among other things, that “the process of merging the two institutions will lead to the creation of a strong cultural institution in Gdańsk, capable of carrying out programmatic tasks.“
Employees oppose the merger. In an open letter published on a social media platform, they wrote, among other things, that “the decision was made from above, without actual consultations with them, the trade unions, or the social stakeholders, in an atmosphere of disinformation.” Both institutions employ approximately 45 people.
They point out that “the restructuring resulting from the merger raises concerns about future employment and its conditions, especially among employees on fixed-term contracts and freelance agreements.“
Moreover, they state that the report prepared for the contemporary art museum in Gdańsk, in the context of the local art scene and the assumptions of the document Gdańsk 2030 Plus, which was presented as the basis for the merger, is “unreliable, outdated, and nowhere considers the option of merging both institutions.“
Gdańsk 2030 Plus is the city’s official development strategy, adopted by the Gdańsk council as the main planning document. It sets directions for social, economic, and spatial development until 2030.
According to the protesters, the Gdańsk city hall refers to other documents that have not been made available to employees, which undermines the transparency of the decision. Employees expect the city to present other documents that form the basis for the merger.
Grassa Gallery will disappear
The president of the Günter Grass Association in Gdańsk, Prof. UG Miłosława Borzyszkowska-Szewczyk, said that as a result of merging the two institutions, the Günter Grass Gallery, which is one of the branches of the Gdańsk City Gallery, will be removed from the city’s cultural landscape.
“By erasing the name of the German Nobel laureate from the institutional cultural landscape, the City Hall removes one of the pretexts for attacking its authorities and Gdańsk’s cultural policy for its alleged pro-German stance, as if commemorating a German SS member at the same time,” she said.
The integrated institution is intended to serve the residents – the goal is broad access to culture and to strengthen Gdańsk’s position as a city of art in Poland and on the international stage.