PANELISTS:

Gaya Barcikowska – a graduate of Romance Philology at the Jagiellonian University and the Faculty of Drawing at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels. A long-time employee of European institutions such as the European Commission: Directorate for Translation, and the European Committee of the Regions: Department of Interinstitutional and International Relations.

Stan Barański – a visual artist, documentary photographer, traveler, and activist. A graduate of American Studies at the Jagiellonian University and the University of Warsaw. Co-founder of the Kraków Cyclical Festival and Critical Mass. Co-founder of the Bike Polo Club Kraków, organizer of the European Championships (2013).

Wojciech Kolęda – architect and co-founder of the Stare Mury project. For seven years, he was associated with the Arche Group, where he designed comprehensive revitalizations and adaptations of historic buildings, which today serve as examples of the successful combination of heritage protection and a modern investment approach. Co-founder and leader of the Stare Mury project, a platform connecting architects, investors, and specialists working in the field of revitalization.

Urszula Pieregończuk – PhD – visual artist, film director. A graduate of the Faculty of Arts at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, she creates short films, intermedia installations, and silicone sculptures covered with her own tattoos. She is an award-winner in the Samsung Art Master competitions (CSW Ujazdowski Castle) and the In Out Festival (CSW Łaźnia).

Tomek Rygalik – designer, founder of Studio Rygalik, working on architecture and products for leading companies and Polish and international brands such as Cappellini, Comforty, Moroso, Miloni, Nobonobo, Noti, Ghidini, Paged, Profim, Siemens, Heineken, and Ikea. A teacher of the younger generation of designers, valued for his openness and extensive experience, PhD, professor at Aalto University. Creator and artistic director of brands offering interior architecture products. Co-creator of the interdisciplinary DesignNature community and its creative campus in Sobole.

Barbara Sawicka – Director of the Labirynt Gallery in Lublin, a film studies graduate (UMCS), production manager (PWSFTviT), and PR specialist (WSPiA). A theatre producer with experience in Lublin, Warsaw, Opole, and Bielsko-Biała. She has produced an international theatre festival, implemented numerous interdisciplinary projects, and coordinated mass events, including air shows.

Aleksandra Sochan – costume and fashion designer, graduate of the International School of Costume and Fashion Design. She has experience working on set and in theater productions.

Julia Bimer – interior architect specializing in the design of residential spaces with a refined, collectible character. A graduate of the Faculty of Interior Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. In 2024–2025 she was associated with the Milan-based studio Vincenzo De Cotiis, one of the most highly regarded architecture and design studios in the world. While working in Milan, she participated in the realization of prestigious interior projects, gaining experience at the intersection of architecture, art, and collectible design. She currently runs her own design studio in Poland.

Natalia Bimer – multidisciplinary artist, designer, and curator working at the intersection of art, design, and production. A graduate of the Faculty of Graphic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and the Warsaw School of Photography. Her practice is based on an intensive way of thinking through image, emotion, and form, as well as on the tension between what is material and what is perceptual. She is currently co-creator and managing director of BIMER STUDIO, where she combines creative and business roles, redefining the relationship between art and organizational structure. She is also the founder of the WARTO Foundation – Warsaw ART Organization, whose aim is to promote and develop awareness around the intersecting worlds of art, design, and performative practices.