MOCAK, Museum of Contemporary Art in Kraków

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow (MOCAK), known in Polish as Muzeum Sztuki Współczesnej w Krakowie, is a municipal cultural institution in Krakow, Poland, dedicated to presenting and supporting contemporary art, with a particular focus on the last two decades. Established by the Krakow municipality, the museum opened to the public on 19 May 2011. Situated three kilometers from the city center, it occupies the site of the former Oskar Schindler Enamel Factory. Beyond its exhibition spaces, the institution aims to explain contemporary art to diverse visitor groups, conducting research projects, publishing books on modern art, and hosting public and professional events. Its facilities include a library, a bookshop, a cafe, and a contemporary art conservation laboratory.

The long-standing idea to create a contemporary art museum in Krakow took concrete form in 2004, when the city municipality purchased the old factory buildings and surrounding grounds of the former Schindler factory for museum purposes. In May 2005, Krakow Mayor Jacek Majchrowski secured a grant of four million zlotys from the Polish Minister of Culture, Waldemar Dabrowski. The project subsequently received significant co-financing from the European Union Cohesion Fund, amounting to 35 million zlotys, within the framework of the Lesser Poland operational program for 2007 to 2013. An international architectural competition in 2007 selected the design for the new museum. The institution was officially founded on 1 February 2010, and construction began in December 2009. The building was delivered on 16 November 2010, officially opening its doors to the public on 19 May 2011. Since its opening, art historian and theorist Maria Anna Potocka has served as the museum's director.

The museum's collections consist primarily of artworks from the last two decades, featuring pieces by both Polish and international artists, including creators from Russia, the Czech Republic, Iceland, and Switzerland. The museum's strategic educational policy aims to elevate the status of contemporary visual art in Poland, initiating and supporting activities that cultivate a new audience. This includes encouraging the work of young artists and fostering public debate on the social standing of artists. The permanent collection is displayed on the first floor of the building, while temporary exhibitions occupy the second floor. Building B serves as a dedicated gallery for solo exhibitions, as well as design, sound, and text-based displays. The museum's temporary exhibitions frequently generate intense discussion, not only among art critics, such as an exhibition dedicated to the Auschwitz photographer Wilhelm Brasse.

The permanent collection encompasses works by a diverse group of international and Polish artists. Represented artists include the collective AES+F, Krzysztof Wodiczko, Beat Streuli, Ragnar Kjartansson, Robert Kusmirowski, Tomasz Bajer, Kristof Kintera, Maria Stangret, and Edward Dwurnik. In addition to these contemporary works, the museum houses a distinct permanent exhibition: the personal library of Professor Mieczyslaw Porebski, a prominent Polish art historian who lived from 1921 to 2012.

The museum is located in the Zablocie district on the site of the former Oskar Schindler Enamel Factory, adjacent to another museum detailing the German occupation of Krakow from 1939 to 1945. The architectural design was conceived by Italian architects Claudio Nardi and Leonardo Maria Proli, drawing inspiration from neomodern architecture. The project, selected through a 2007 competition, involved the construction of a new building alongside the adaptation of six old factory structures for museum purposes. The exhibition area is divided into several sections and covers 4,000 square meters, while the total area of the entire museum complex spans 10,000 square meters. Construction costs totaled approximately 70 million zlotys, roughly equivalent to 16 million euros, with half of the funding provided by the European Union. The building was nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award.

The museum is located three kilometers from the center of Krakow, Poland. As a municipal cultural institution, it serves as a major public venue for contemporary art in the region. Visitors have access to a range of amenities alongside the exhibitions, including a library, a bookshop offering publications on modern art and art objects, and a cafe. The institution also maintains a specialized contemporary art conservation laboratory. The museum's official website provides current information on access and programming.