Swing by and see the new “Lem’s Bestiary Illustrated by Mróz” exhibition presented by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland! Dive into the imaginative world of the famous Polish sci-fi novelist and discover Lem's bestiary according to artist and illustrator Daniel Mróz, plus grab a free copy of one of Lem’s out-of-this-world books courtesy of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland!

In commemoration of the legendary Polish sci-fi writer Stanisław Lem’s 100th birth anniversary, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland presents an original exhibition, “Lem’s Bestiary Illustrated by Mróz.”

The exhibition gives an overview of one of the best textual and imagery-based initiatives in Polish literature, presenting the results of a collaboration between Stanisław Lem, one of the most popular Polish writers of science fiction in world literature, and Daniel Mróz, an eminent Polish graphic artist who created illustrations and covers for many of Stanisław Lem’s books. 

The exhibition contains some of Daniel Mróz’s best graphic works for Lem's stories, including from the books Cyberiada ("Cyberiada"), The Star Diaries ("Dzienniki gwiazdowe") and Robotsagor ("Bajki robotów"). Together, they form a breathtaking world full of aliens, robots and other creatures that are still eerily reminiscent of our human world.

The basic idea formulated by Janusz Górski, a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk and curator of the exhibition, is a reference to medieval bestiary collections, illustrated volumes showcasing “beasts” such as the elephant, camel, but also the griffin, unicorn or the two-headed inhabitants of the Antipodes. The bestiary presents emancipated machines, somewhat ominous and simultaneously grotesque, carefully drawn by Master Mróz and combined with descriptions found in the novels and short stories of Master Lem.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a screening of an interview with Michael Kandel, an American translator and author of science fiction, best known for his brilliant translations of the works of Stanisław Lem from Polish to English.

During the exhibition on Friday December 10, you can grab a free copy of books by Stanislaw Lem, as well as postcards with illustrations!