Visiting Wyspia on the Wawel Castle Courtyards

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If you’re walking through the outer courtyard of Wawel Castle, you may notice a bright spot among the cold, mostly gray, winter skyline. Kinga Nowak‘s newest piece “Wyspia” adds an immense amount of whimsy to the outdoor space visited by locals and tourists alike daily.

Inspired by the famous Polish painter Stanisław Wyspiański; Nowak brings her own style to life by offering a structure that can be walked through, touched, and interacted with in many different ways; as was seen during our recent visit; with visitors taking photos from the inside and through the outside.

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Artist Kinga Nowak has brought an amazing installation to the Wawel Castle Grounds this winter with her piece “Wyspia”. Inspired by the Polish artist Stanisław Wyspiański; the art brings an interactive discovery of color and modernism to a place that is often lacking in brightness during the winter- and of course is hundreds of years old. The presence of public art in Krakow is one of the many reasons people enjoy just meandering around the city- and there is always something new to look at.

♬ golden hour – JVKE

The piece offers the ability to stand in front of the colored panels or behind them, and I can’t wait to see the photos people will be creating by using this piece. One of the many reasons I choose to live in Krakow is it’s multitude of public art- one that is ever-changing- but honestly I wish was more permanent.

I will be keeping an eye on where this public art will head next- and hope if is given a permanent home somewhere in the city for visitors to enjoy. But, just in case- make sure you get over to the castle grounds (free to enter by the way!) to pay “Wyspia” a visit, before it’s gone.

If you’re walking through the Wawel courtyards and are asking yourself, “What is this colorful structure and walls?” you can read even more about the artist, her inspiration, and what the work means to the city of Krakow here on Wawel’s website.

Questions? Email us at emilysguidetokrakow@gmail.com or DM us at @emilys.guide.to.krakow on TikTok or @imfeelingpipsy on Instagram