The Popular Choice Awards

1. WHO?
Griffin Art Space is an institution founded by Griffin Real Estate to support and promote visual arts. Its main area of activity involves providing patronage to the most significant artistic endeavors as well as organizing cultural events, and hosting projects in the venues owned by Griffin Real Estate. For the last 4 years the foundation in the cooperation with WRO Art Center has been presenting "RenomaWRO" project as a part of International Biennele WRO, in the ‘Renoma’ Department Store. Together with The Foundation for Visual Arts it organized a biennial socio-artistic project ‘Rajza po Kato’/ ‘A Trip round Kato(wice)’ under the patronage of ‘Supersam’ Department Store.
Griffin Art Space is also the main sponsor of Kracow Photomonth Festival – one of the leading photography festivals in Europe – and ‘Contemporary Lynx” magazine, which is focused on promoting Polish art in the world. Apart from the regular events inscribed in the yearly calendar, the foundation also supports smaller exhibitions and cultural activities.
2. WHY?
Only in 2016 it opened 6 significant exhibitions in the spaces of ‘Dom Słowa Polskiego’ Printing House and Koszyki Market Hall in Warsaw and ‘Renoma’ Department Store in Wrocław. All of them enjoyed attention and were well received by crucial media in Poland; starting with the opening of the artistic season in ‘Dom Słowa Polskiego’ Printing House with the successful "Poppy: Trails of Afghan Heroin exhibition", which constituted the Warsaw preview of the 14th edition of Kracow Photomonth Festival, through the Wrocław exhibition realized in the cooperation with WRO Art Center and presented within European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016 and small, but highly recognized by art critics "Disappointment Island" exhibition, realized together with Stereo Gallery during Warsaw Gallery Weekend; and finishing with exhibitions attended by thousands of visitors like "Imago" by Zuza Krajewska and Anna Grzelewska in ‘Dom Słowa Polskiego’ Printing House and "Moths, Crabs, Fluids" in Koszyki Market Hall.
All mentioned exhibitions were visited by over 100 000 viewers.
3. AND MORE :)
For the last 3 years the foundation has been also awarding the best portfolio presented within the Portfolio Review, being a part of Krakow Photomonth Festival, with the Griffin Art Space Award. The so far prize winners were granted with promotional support, collector’s portfolio and the possibility of the individual exhibition organized within one of the most important photography festivals in Europe.