The direction of the collection was shaped by Ryszard Stanisławski — the founder of the Museum of Art in Łódź.
Together, we compiled a list of artists significant to 20th-century Polish art. Our aim was to select works of museum-level importance, and our task — to present them in public space. Today, most of these works can be found in places of everyday life and learning: at SWPS University, the School of Form, and Collegium Da Vinci. Part of the collection also remains on deposit at the National Museum in Poznań and is regularly loaned for major exhibitions in Poland and abroad.
We established direct collaboration with artists, which resulted in impressive projects such as Magdalena Abakanowicz’s sculptural ensembles. In 2002, the installation Unrecognized was unveiled at Poznań’s Cytadela Park, and four years later, in Chicago, the monumental Agora was realized in cooperation with the Wielkopolska Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts.
We decided to expand the Foundation’s activities with the Poznań City of Art project. Thanks to this initiative, the public space has been enriched with works by artists such as David Černý, Heinz Mack, Jan Berdyszak, Krzysztof Sołowiej, Maciej Kurak, Andrzej Banachowicz, Katarzyna Kozyra, and Joanna Rajkowska — and in Wrocław, Paweł Althamer.
The experience gained through working with artists became an impulse for bold and creative initiatives within our companies and universities. We discovered that collaboration with outstanding designers and architects makes it possible to take on difficult challenges while creating unique products and services.
In the following years, we carried out the series Furniture that Teaches How to Change the World, established the one-of-a-kind School of Form — exceptional on a European scale — and founded Concordia Design, a business and creativity center with locations in Poznań and Wrocław. We also built the innovative Bałtyk office building. Today, two spectacular projects are underway: Aura and Skarbiec.
In the years that followed, Anna and Piotr Voelkel were joined by their children - Maria, Ewa, and Piotr Wit - and the Foundation extended its support to include design, theater, and music.
Together, we organized the International Design Days in Poznań and built Aula Artis — a venue that has hosted numerous performances by Teatr Stu and Teatr Polonia with Krystyna Janda, Janusz Gajos, and Andrzej Seweryn. It has also welcomed Tomasz Stańko, the band Raz Dwa Trzy, Wojciech Waglewski with Voo Voo, and Marcin Masecki. Today, Aula Artis is a vibrant theater and concert hall filled with audiences.
Art, science, and education — collaboration with outstanding creators has become the foundation of our business, which is both socially responsible and innovative. This approach has enabled us to build brands whose quality is recognized worldwide.
We wanted the Foundation to support artists in carrying out their life projects while also making a positive impact on the surroundings — inspiring pupils, students, colleagues, and passersby.
Employees are actively involved in the Foundation’s initiatives from the ground up. Jointly implemented projects have given us the experience and courage to take on challenging tasks within our organizations.
Education of the young generation is especially important to us. We take pride in the results of the TALENTY Scholarship Fund, established in 2003 to support exceptionally talented youth. For more than 20 years, its activities have been led by Katarzyna Kolasińska.
Today, with each of us running our own business as a result of succession, the Foundation remains the space where we act together.
This shared commitment gives us a sense of continuity and unites us around the values that matter most.
We value the importance of education, science, art, music, theater, design, and architecture — for architecture, too, can be an art. Drawing inspiration, experience, and skills from these fields, we create a COMMUNITY OF FREE INDIVIDUALS, united by the values close to us: Courage, Curiosity, Openness, and Responsibility.
