History

The beginnings of the Foundation date back to 2001, when it first operated under the name VOX Artis within the VOX Capital Group. From the outset, its mission was to promote Polish contemporary art and design, as well as to foster education through art.

Katarzyna Kozyra, In Art,

Dreams Become Reality

1996

  • The establishment of the Higher School of Humanities and Journalism in Poznań, which in 2014 was renamed Collegium Da Vinci.

1997

  • The beginning of collecting works by the most important Polish artists of the 20th century under the guidance of Ryszard Stanisławski.

2001

  • The establishment of the Vox Artis Foundation, which in 2025 was transformed into the Voelkel Foundation.

2002

  • The installation of Magdalena Abakanowicz’s sculptural ensemble Unrecognized at Poznań’s Cytadela Park.

2003

  • The establishment of the TALENTY Scholarship Fund.

2006

  • The installation of Magdalena Abakanowicz’s sculptural ensemble Agora in Grant Park, Chicago. The work was created in cooperation with the Wielkopolska Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts.

  • The creation of Heinz Mack’s outdoor installation Stela on Aleje Marcinkowskiego in Poznań. The work was created in cooperation with the Wielkopolska Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts.

2008

  • Assuming the role of founder of SWPS University.

2009

  • The establishment of the Da Vinci Schools.

  • The organization of the International Design Days in cooperation with the Marshal of the Wielkopolska Region.

  • The unveiling of the sculpture Area of Ephemeral Images by Prof. Jan Berdyszak, located at Rondo Kaponiera on Święty Marcin Street in Poznań. The work was created in cooperation with the Wielkopolska Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts.

2010

  • The unveiling of David Černý’s sculpture Golem on Aleje Marcinkowskiego in Poznań. The work was created in cooperation with the Wielkopolska Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts.

  • The opening of Aula Artis.

2011

  • The establishment of the School of Form design school in cooperation with Lidewij Edelkoort and Zuzanna Skalska.

  • The opening of Concordia Design in Poznań.

2017

  • The opening of the Bałtyk office building in Poznań.

2019

  • The installation of the sculptural ensemble Totems by Alicja Biała and Iwo Borkowicz at Poznań’s Art Haven.

2020

  • The opening of Concordia Design in Wrocław.

2022

  • The creation of Joanna Rajkowska’s outdoor installation SORRY at Poznań’s Art Haven.

2024

  • The takeover of the EUREKA Primary School.

  • The construction of the Aura apartment building, designed by Robert Konieczny, and the revitalization of Skarbiec, a historic bank building, has begun.

2025

  • The unveiling of Jakub Julian Ziółkowski’s totem The Earth We Belong To on the Old Market Square in Poznań.

Awards and Distinctions

VOX

  • Top Design Award 2011 for the Young Users collection, design by Marta Krupińska
  • Dobry Design 2015 for the Spot collection, design by Wiktoria Lenart, in the Children’s and Work Space category, awarded by Dobrze Mieszkaj magazine and the dobrzemieszkaj.pl portal
  • iF Design Award 2015 for the Spot bed, design by Wiktoria Lenart, in the Home Furniture category
  • Top Design Award 2016 – presented during the Arena Design Fair, for the Balance system, design by Joanna Leciejewska and Wiktoria Lenart
  • Dobry Wzór 2017 – award by the Institute of Industrial Design for the Nature collection, design by Tabanda
  • Dobry Design 2018 – awarded by Dobrze Mieszkaj magazine and dobrzemieszkaj.pl portal for the Stige collection, design by Łukasz Stawarski and Bartłomiej Pawlak
  • Must Have 2021 title for the Creative system, design by Marta Krupińska
  • Digital Excellence of the Year 2023 – Digital Customer Experience category, for the VOXBOX platform

Architecture

Bałtyk

  • Prime Property Prize 2017
  • Bryła Roku 2017
  • Nagroda im. Jana Baptysty Quadro
  • Architizer A+ Awards
  • Top Builder
  • A new icon of the city and Grand Prix in the Polska Architektura XXL competition
  • Nominated for the EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award

Concordia Design

  • Building of the Year 2021 - ArchDaily
  • Art in Architecture Festival – First Prize

Sztuka

Totems, Alicja Biała

  • 2019 – “The Best Outdoor Art Installations Defining Public Spaces”, international distinction by Wallpaper magazine

Sorry, Joanna Rajkowska

  • Selected as one of the ten best art events of 2022 in Poland by Polityka weekly

SWPS University

  • SWPS University ranked first in Poland in the THE by Subject 2025 ranking for Social Sciences
  • Researcher Marzena Cypryańska-Nezlek PhD from SWPS University honored with the Green Changer Award
  • Professor Aleksandra Łuszczyńska awarded the Prime Minister’s Science Prize
  • Professor Philip Kotler Award for SWPS University
  • Rector of SWPS University, prof. dr hab. Roman Cieślak, appointed Chair of the KRASP Committee for Communication and Social Responsibility
  • Psychology at SWPS University ranked best in Poland in the “Perspektywy” ranking
Other awards of SWPS University

Collegium Da Vinci

  • Third Prize in the Genius Universitatis competition
  • “Studies with a Future” – award for the highest quality standards in higher education

Scholars of the TALENTY Scholarship Fund

  • Dominika Tylcz – Assistant Curator at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York
  • Monika Błaszczak – Funeral Songs – performance at Brama Poznania (2022); The Rite of Spring. Prelude (2021); Soliloquy; Dreaming (Malta Festival)
  • Natalia Jarząbek – Principal flutist of the Kraków Philharmonic and member of the Cracow Golden Quintet
  • Paulina Kończal – Oboist at the Ostrava Philharmonic
  • Maciej Łyczek – Awards at the 5th International Guitar Festival María Luisa Anido in Morón, Argentina (2021), and at the 5th International Guitar Competition Santa María de los Buenos Aires (2017)
  • Adam Banaszak – Conductor and Artistic Director of the Warsaw Chamber Opera
Learn more about scholarships

Major exhibitions featuring works from the collection

  • Jacek Malczewski, The Moment of Creation. Harpy in a Dream, National Museum in Warsaw, 2000
  • Jacek Malczewski, The Moment of Creation. Harpy in a Dream, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, 2000
  • Mojżesz Kisling, The Sea in St. Maxime, Historical Museum of the City of Kraków, 2008
  • Jankiel Adler, The Blessing of Baal Shem Tov, Stadtmuseum Berlin, 2009
  • Erna Rosenstein, The Heart of the Icon and Blooming Hours, Art Stations Foundation, 2013
  • Erna Rosenstein, The Heart of the Icon and Blooming Hours, National Museum in Warsaw, 2014
  • Aleksander Gierymski, Neapolitan Woman, National Museum in Warsaw, 2014
  • Jankiel Adler, The Blessing of Baal Shem Tov, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, 2014
  • Jan Jerzy Wroniecki, Salome, The Weeping Woman, Veronica’s Veil, Museum der Stadt Dresden, 2015
  • Tadeusz Kantor, My Home, Cricoteka, Kraków, 2015
  • Jan Jerzy Wroniecki, Salome, The Weeping Woman, Veronica’s Veil, Museum of the City of Łódź, 2019

Long-term deposits

Works from the Voelkel Foundation’s collection are held on long-term deposit at the National Museum in Poznań, where, among others, Mojżesz Kisling’s painting The Sea in St. Maxime is preserved. Selected works can also be admired at SWPS University and Collegium Da Vinci, where they are encountered daily by several thousand students. The collection is regularly featured in prestigious exhibitions in Poland and abroad — including at museums in Berlin, Toulon, Kraków, Warsaw, and Łódź.

National Museum in Poznań

  • Mojżesz Kisling, The Sea in St. Maxime

Deposits of the Wielkopolska Society for the Encouragement of Fine Art:

  • Alina Szapocznikow, Foot
  • Alina Szapocznikow, Two-Part
  • Roman Cieślewicz, Darwin
  • Roman Cieślewicz, La championne
  • Zofia Kulik, Patterns
  • Andrzej Wróblewski, Partisans

Read more

People of the Foundation

Learn more about the founders

Idea

Discover the idea behind the Foundation’s establishment