10 October 2025

Exhibition "Let Them See Us! Image, Dress, Body" at the Royal Castle

On 9 October, the opening of the exhibition "Let Them See Us! Image, Dress, Body" took place at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, drawing large crowds. From now until 8 February, the Castle presents a unique, cross-period survey of works created from the 16th to the 21st century. The exhibition explores the power of image, and how — even though clothes do not make the person — it is clothing that has, for centuries, dictated how one is perceived, enabled the crafting of an image, reflected social standing, and can even transform a person. Among the works on view is Paweł Kowalewski's "Golden Boys" — a sculptural diptych of the busts of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, covered in 24-karat gold. The work is the result of close observation of today's political world, a story about how dictators and their heads — unwanted, yet invited in by someone — force their way into our lives. They shout, command, decide, and although they seem only to shout at each other, their shouting touches us all. It is a warning that those doused in liquid gold like to think of themselves as objects of worship — and the cult of such "golden calves," which we've watched with no small unease for years, can be very dangerous. Exhibition dates: 10.10.2025 – 08.02.2026. Location: Royal Castle in Warsaw, Plac Zamkowy 4, 00-277 Warsaw.