ABOUT IFF
OUR WORK
The Fort Photography Institute (IFF) is a foundation committed to promoting photography as a medium for art and dialogue. Since 2016, we have been based at Fort Mokotów, where our two main pillars – the gallery and the reading room – allow us to develop projects in our core areas: exhibitions and educational initiatives.
Statue
The Foundation Statute can be downloaded here
Activity reports
Gallery
We organize exhibitions by artists from Poland and abroad, including both solo shows and group exhibitions. Their themes revolve around what matters to us in the “here and now” – current social issues and cultural events. Exploring and presenting these topics from various perspectives forms the core programme of IFF.
Project selection
We are open to all kinds of photography. Visual arts, contemporary documentary, classic reportage are all valid formats that we consider. However, we emphasise the importance of the universality of a message, which is why we focus on projects that address important social, historical, cultural or political issues related to Polish society as well as the region of Central and Eastern Europe.
The exhibition programme of the IFF Gallery is organised by the Programme Council at least 18 months in advance. At the annual Team Meeting, we discuss all the submitted applications.
How to submit your photo project?
We accept exhibition proposals only in the form of a PDF file, sent to biuro@fiff.org.pl.
The PDF must include:
- artist’s biography, along with exhibitions, prizes, publications,
- a short description of the project (in five sentences),
- about 10 – 20 photos,
- information on the progress of the project,
- possibly, information on the production status, including the number and dimensions of the works/objects produced/in production.
The file should not exceed 6 mb
Limited-edition prints
IFF works with a select group of artists, making their works available as limited-edition prints. Our selection includes a wide range of pieces in terms of subject matter and price, ideal both for starting a collection and for expanding an existing one. Available works – including information on each edition, dimensions and prices – can be viewed and downloaded on each artist’s page. If you have any questions, we’re happy to help. We also host workshops focused on collecting photography.
Reading room & events
The IFF reading room and educational activities serve as platforms for broader presentation of photography and for bringing people together. In the reading room, we provide access to over 2,500 publications on photography of all kinds. Through workshops, guided tours, and educational programs, we create a space for discussing images, their meaning, and their role in interpreting and representing reality.
IFF Store
We sell photography books, posters, and limited-edition prints both online and on-site. You are invited to explore our collection.
TEAM
Katarzyna Białousz and Justyna Kociszewska serve as the Chairs of the Fort Photography Institute Foundation. The Foundation’s work is supported by the Foundation Council and the Programme Council. The Foundation is supported by White Stone Development
Foundation Council
The Foundation Council consists of:
Bernard Kwapiński – photographer, graduate of art schools in Germany and New York. Promoter and collector of photography, owner of one of the largest collections of photography books in Poland. Initiator and founder of the Fort Photography Institute Foundation.
Tomasz Tomaszewski – holds a doctoral degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. He is a member of the Association of Polish Art Photographers, Visum Foto agency in Hamburg, National Geographic Creative in Washington, and the International Press Club. He works in press photography, with his images published in major Polish and international publications such as National Geographic Magazine, Stern, Paris Match, GEO, The New York Times, Time, and Fortune. More
Marcin Górzyński – photographer, winner of the Grand Press Photo 2025 award. Author of documentary projects addressing social and cultural topics.
Programme Council
The Programme Council is a pro bono body established in 2018 by the Foundation’s Management Board, whose aim is to set directives for the institution’s development, build a long-term programme line and develop guidelines for the educational programme.
Tomasz Gutkowski – co-founder and long-term director of the Krakow Photomonth Festival, board member of the Foundation for Visual Arts. Experienced organizer and coordinator of several dozen museum exhibitions and publishing projects. Organizer of long-term digitization projects involving the preservation and popularization of the heritage of renowned Polish artists, including Zofia Rydet and Wojciech Plewiński. Member of the Council of NGOs at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (2013 – 14). Recipient of a scholarship from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage (2014). Lecturer on the practice of organizing cultural events at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Faculty of Art History at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Colegium Civitas in Warsaw, and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw.
Joanna Kinowska – an art historian specializing in photography. An independent curator, photo editor, writer, and photographer. She works at the Służew Cultural Centre as Head of Cultural Education. She frequently serves as a jury member in photography competitions and as a reviewer of portfolio reviews.
She leads professional workshops titled Thinking Through Photography and is the founder of the blog Miejsce fotografii (The Place of Photography). She collaborates with Przekrój.pl, Fotopolis, Digital Camera Polska, and Fotografia Quarterly. She is also a co-organizer of the Photography Publication of the Year competition.
She lectures in the postgraduate program Photography at the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences, as well as at the Author’s School of Photography and Graphic Design. In 2024, she published her first photographic book, Jump Into the Fire With Me. She is a member of RAV.A Stories.
Olga Łacna – graduate of the Faculty of Photography at the Leon Schiller National Higher School of Film, Television and Theatre in Łódź (2002), the Faculty of Graphic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw (Book Design Studio, 2007), and postgraduate studies in Art in Practice at Collegium Civitas. Graphic designer and photo editor. She served for many years as the artistic and creative director of the magazines CR Navigator and Malemen. Multiple recipient of the Grant Front awards for best press covers between 2010 and 2015. She has designed and edited numerous photography books, including Michał Szlaga’s Stocznia and Odyseja, and Michał Siark’s Aleksander. She has reviewed portfolio submissions for events such as the Krakow Photomonth and Photomatch Festival, and served as a jury member for the KTR Awards in the Photography category. In 2015, she founded the Fort Photography Institute Foundation (IFF) in Warsaw, serving as both President and Program Director until the end of 2022, overseeing its exhibition and educational activities. Over seven years of building IFF, she produced and co-curated more than 25 exhibitions – both solo shows and thematic group exhibitions – focused on a multifaceted exploration of Central European identity. She also coordinated IFF’s flagship, innovative educational project in collaboration with the Polish Culture Institute at the University of Warsaw, titled Szkoła Patrzenia, whose results remain available to this day (szkolapatrzenia.pl).
Krzysztof Miękus – a historian of science, artist, and exhibition curator. He is a graduate of the Interdisciplinary Individual Studies in the Humanities at the University of Warsaw and holds a PhD in Fine Arts in the field of intermedia. Since 2003, he has been involved in curating, organizing, and coordinating artistic events.
Between 2003 and 2006, he worked as deputy editor-in-chief and later editor-in-chief of Pozytyw, a monthly magazine devoted to contemporary photography, and served as curator of Yours Gallery in Warsaw. In 2007, he was the curator of the Transfotografia festival in the Tri-City area. From 2010 to 2014, he coordinated the Art+Science Meeting project at CSW Łaźnia in Gdańsk.
Since 2016, he has been affiliated with the Institute of Photography Fort. He has received scholarships from, among others, the Visegrad Fund, the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Embassy of France in Warsaw, the Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
At IFF, he has curated numerous exhibitions, including the group show Single Shot, as well as Go Home, Polish by Michał Iwanowski, Poland by Michał Szlaga, Alexander by Michał Siara, Mould / Forma by Agnieszka Mastalerz, Natural Histories by Łukasz Wierzbowski, and Unruly Bodies by Kasia Bielska.
Fort Institute of Photography Foundation
Board:
Katarzyna Białousz i Justyna Kociszewska
Gallery, archive & online:
Maja Czechowicz
Gallery, reading room & store:
Barbara Czerniak
Promotion:
Ida Czajkowska promocja@fiff.org.pl
Online:
Palina Kedal
We work with a dedicated team of experts and volunteers to bring our exhibitions and events to life. If you want to get in touch, write to us at biuro@fiff.org.pl or call us at: +48 609 106 901
VOLUNTEERING
Join our team! Discover what it’s like to work in a gallery, learn how to organise events, and gain experience running a reading room.
SPACE
IFF is located within Fort Mokotów – a unique space that combines historic architecture with modern dining, event venues, and green outdoor areas.
IFF Location
The Fort Photography Institute is located at Fort Mokotów, a green, post-industrial enclave of creativity just 15 minutes from Warsaw Central Station. The historic site, once part of the Warsaw Fortress, later a broadcasting station for Polish Radio and radio-television facilities, now thrives as a space for the creative industries and event venues.
The historic character of the buildings, the distance from busy streets, and the surrounding earthen ramparts covered with old trees create a unique environment for work, culture, and relaxation. Spread across 4 hectares, the site houses the IFF photography gallery, design studios, shops, a yoga studio, and dining and event spaces – all open to the public.
IFF Space
The IFF Gallery, located in the former Studio 99 at Fort Mokotów in Warsaw, is one of the largest photography galleries in Poland.
The gallery covers approximately 450 m², much of which is an open space that allows flexible arrangements and the construction of scenography tailored to the needs of each exhibition or event. We also have a system of movable exhibition walls.
At the gallery you will find:
– a photography reading room with the largest open-access, free collection of photography books in Poland see more
– the IFF Shop, where you can purchase photography publications, exhibition posters, and limited-edition prints. See the shop’s offer here
The gallery is available for rent for photo shoots, recordings, events, and private functions.
To schedule a visit and see our spaces, please contact us at: biuro@fiff.org.pl.
OFFER & RENTAL
Exhibitions and Workshops
The Fort Photography Institute is made up of people – all connected by photography: practitioners, theorists, historians, curators, and producers. Together, we create high-quality photography exhibitions, both in our gallery and for other institutions and organisations.
Contact: biuro@fiff.org.pl
Exhibitions
We handle exhibitions from A to Z – from developing the curatorial concept and liaising with artists, to designing the layout, creating a PR strategy, coordinating with the media, production, transport, and insurance of artworks, followed by exhibition installation and display, all the way to organising the opening and accompanying events.
Whether you need a full-service exhibition solution or are interested in collaborating on a specific aspect, get in touch with us: biuro@fiff.org.pl
Workshops
One of our main statutory goals is visual education. For years, we have been organising photography workshops at all levels – from children and teenagers to university students, as well as advanced masterclasses for professionals.
Together we can organise theoretical, practical, outdoor, or studio workshops, using anything from smartphones and pinhole cameras made from matchboxes to the most advanced digital photographic equipment. Everything depends on your needs and goals. We welcome collaboration.
Contact: biuro@fiff.org.pl
Examples of theoretical and practical workshops hosted for professionals:
– Photography workshops with Paweł Bownik
– Workshops with Rob Hornstra
– Workshops with Justyna Mielnikiewicz
Examples of studio workshops:
– Workshops with Kasia Bielska x FDA
– Fashion photography workshops with Zuza Krajewska
Examples of outdoor workshops:
– Workshops with Simon Norfolk
Examples of workshops for children:
– Matchbox Camera Workshop
Rental
Looking for a space that combines historic character with a contemporary atmosphere? IFF and Fort Mokotów provide the perfect setting for intimate events, corporate meetings, brand activations, photo shoots and presentations.
Contact: biuro@fiff.org.pl
Available spaces
IFF covers an area of approximately 450 m². Much of it is an open-plan space that allows for flexible layouts and the construction of bespoke scenography tailored to the needs of each exhibition or event. We have a system of movable exhibition walls at our disposal. The main IFF space also features a cyclorama.
OUR SUPPORT
The Fort Photography Institute was founded on the belief that photography is a vital tool for reflecting on the contemporary world. As an independent institution, we deliver a programme of exhibitions, visual education and socially engaged activities.
Our work is rooted in community involvement and the support of individuals and organisations who recognise the importance of art and education. Every form of support makes it possible for us to realise projects for both the audience and the artists.
We invite you to help us in building a place that nurtures an attentive and critical way of looking at the world.
Patrons
White Stone Development
Partners
Fort Mokotów