Museum on the Vistula Opens in Warsaw with Siren-Themed Exhibition

The Museum on the Vistula, a temporary pavilion replacing the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw during its new construction, has opened with an exhibition titled "The Beguiling Siren is Thy Crest." The show explores the iconography of the Warsaw Siren, a legendary figure from Polish folklore who promised to protect the city's inhabitants. The museum's location on the Vistula River, which becomes a cultural hub in spring and summer, inspired the curatorial choice. The exhibition features works by Agnieszka Polska, Pablo Picasso, Penny Slinger, Louise Bourgeois, Dorothea Tanning, Leonor Fini, Wolfgang Tillmans, Elmgreen & Dragset, Karol Radziszewski, Aleksandra Waliszewska, and Carol Rama. Many pieces are newly commissioned or rarely seen, such as Polska's video, Picasso's sketches, Slinger's surrealist collages, and Bourgeois's drypoints. The show traces the evolution of the siren figure from mythical creature to symbol of sexual emancipation, as seen in works by Tanning and Fini. The pavilion, a white block overlooking the river, offers a spacious interior divided into three areas with concise curatorial texts. The exhibition is the museum's inaugural show and aims to be accessible to both art enthusiasts and casual visitors.