How do you describe your job to a child?
I help artists show their ideas and visions to other people, and I take care of a special place where their artworks can continue to live.
When did you know you wanted to do something with art?
Probably since my childhood. I was always very sensitive to aesthetics (maybe even oversensitive according to my parents), and all my travels were connected to visiting museums and seeing architecture.
Why does society need art?
There is no society without art, and no art without society. Art reminds us to feel, question, and imagine. It creates space for complexity, vulnerability, and disagreement. It is inclusive and goes beyond cultures. And it will stay after us, as a trace of our moment in life.
Should art be political? / Is art political?
Of course. Art is always political, no question.
In which moments have you regretted dedicating your life to art?
Never. I can’t imagine life without art.
Which 3 personalities (dead or alive, real or fictional) would you like to have dinner with?
My grandfather — who passed away some years ago, an architect and the greatest sailor, who taught me that everything is possible. My dear friend, the artist Grzegorz Kowalski, who unfortunately left us too early this year. There were still so many things I wanted to discuss with him, including our long-planned but never realized exhibition. And maybe David Bowie — to sing “Young Americans” together?
What was the last exhibition you really liked?
The Kyiv Biennale at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, which connects the war in Ukraine with a much broader history of colonialism, imperialism, borders, and displacement in Eastern Europe and beyond.
Iza Tarasewicz, Eternal Machine, 2024, Gunia Nowik Gallery, Warsaw, Poland, exhibition view; Foto: Katarzyna Legendź. © Courtesy Gunia Nowik Gallery
What was the most moving moment you’ve had with art?
Bringing an amazing work by Sana Shahmuradova Tanska, an artist from Ukraine, to the Statements section at Art Basel in 2025. Sana lives in Kyiv and never knows if her studio will still be there the next day. Giving her the opportunity to show her work to a broader international public was deeply moving.
Agata Bogacka, Avoidants, 2025, Gunia Nowik Gallery, Warsaw, Poland, exhibition view; Foto: Katarzyna Legendź. © Courtesy Gunia Nowik Gallery
Without whom wouldn’t you be where you are today?
Without the artists I work with, who give me their continued trust and with whom I build long-term relationships. And of course without my gallery team — we sail on the same boat together and that’s why the boat moves steadily forward and… quite fast.
What profession would you like to have in another life?
An architect or a florist. I’m fascinated by architecture as the background of our lives. And I love flowers — I always handpick them for the gallery’s front office according to the exhibitions we have.
Which question about your work are you tired of hearing?
„Is art an investment?“ It is — but first of all, an investment in yourself.
Nona Inescu, Hannah Sophie Dunkelberg, 2025, Gunia Nowik Gallery, Warsaw, Poland, exhibition view; Foto: Katarzyna Legendź. © Courtesy Gunia Nowik Gallery
What helps you relax?
Sailing, where you only think about where the wind is blowing from. Or skiing, where you only think about where the mountains lead you. And in everyday working life, since we moved to our new location more than a year ago — a 19th-century palace — we now have a garden to take care of, which is very good for the mind and for new ideas. So sometimes you can find me there, not in my office.
A secret about you:
The gallery is actually run based on stars and star signs 🙂 I have strong intuition as a Cancer, and surrounded by few Leos and one Sagittarius — there is nothing that can stop us!
Public Transport Project, Warsaw 2025, 2025, Gunia Nowik Gallery, Warsaw, Poland, exhibition view; Foto: Katarzyna Legendź. © Courtesy Gunia Nowik Gallery
