Soon Everyting Will Change
Works by Joanna Rajkowska, one of the most important contemporary artists, will be presented in the Wawel Royal Castle.
In the picturesque surroundings of the Royal Gardens and the Courtyard, visitors will be able to discover three extraordinary installations: a monumental, vibrant common blackbird’s egg – the Hatchling, an authentic crow’s Nest , and the geode Soon Everything Will Change, filled with amethysts and reaching back to ‘deep time’.
24 April – 4 October, 2026
Joanna Rajkowska is one of the most important and distinctive figures in Polish contemporary art, known for projects that permanently alter the fabric of cities and our sensibilities. Her work, acclaimed worldwide, redefines public space, prompting deep reflection on the relationship between humanity, nature and history.
This extraordinary exhibition engages the senses and invites visitors to experience the Wawel Hill at a completely new pace:
24 April – 4 October, 2026
Joanna Rajkowska is one of the most important and distinctive figures in Polish contemporary art, known for projects that permanently alter the fabric of cities and our sensibilities. Her work, acclaimed worldwide, redefines public space, prompting deep reflection on the relationship between humanity, nature and history.
This extraordinary exhibition engages the senses and invites visitors to experience the Wawel Hill at a completely new pace:
"The Hatchling. Common Blackbird"
A monumental, common blackbird’s egg, having an impressive size of 240 by 160 centimetres, invites to approach it without fear and simply place one’s hand on it. Its smooth, cool surface contrasts
with what is happening inside: the pulsating energy of birth. Putting one’s ear to it is enough to hear the subtle vibrations, the gentle trembling of the shell, and the rhythmic heartbeat of the hatching bird. This is an intimate encounter with the beginning of life – magnified to a scale that allows us, for a moment, to witness a miracle usually hidden from human sight.
"The Nest"
The Nest – part of the project Greetings From Jerusalem Avenue, is a real nest built by hooded crows at the top of the famous Greetings From Jerusalem Avenue palm tree.
Over the years, the birds have treated the artificial palm tree as a fully-fledged part of the urban ecosystem, as if they ignored its conceptual origins or its somewhat ironic genesis. The nest, now relocated to the gardens of Wawel, stands as a tangible testament to this extraordinary symbiosis: nature, which takes no account of the artist’s intentions, and the city, which is constantly negotiating its own identity. It points out that even the most artificial structures can be taken over by life, and what was intended to be a temporary artistic intervention can transform into a fully-fledged part of the urban fabric.
"Soon Everything Will Change"
Behind this mysterious title hides a geode filled with amethysts, situated deep within the earth, in the immediate vicinity of the Wawel Royal Castle archaeological reserve.
This structure, shaped by geological processes spanning millions of years, draws our attention to ‘deep time’ – a concept that is almost unimaginable, yet ever-present in the physical world.
It acts as a portal through which you can look back several million years into the past. It serves as a reminder of the powerful processes that shaped this land long before humans appeared, and which will continue regardless of how human history unfolds. It is a subtle lesson of humility in the face of the forces that are constantly shaping the world. The mineral provides an opportunity to reflect on a time measured with the basic unit of a century, rather than an hour.
This structure, shaped by geological processes spanning millions of years, draws our attention to ‘deep time’ – a concept that is almost unimaginable, yet ever-present in the physical world.
It acts as a portal through which you can look back several million years into the past. It serves as a reminder of the powerful processes that shaped this land long before humans appeared, and which will continue regardless of how human history unfolds. It is a subtle lesson of humility in the face of the forces that are constantly shaping the world. The mineral provides an opportunity to reflect on a time measured with the basic unit of a century, rather than an hour.
Wawel Royal Castle is becoming a venue for lively dialogue, where history meets contemporary artistic thought. Joanna Rajkowska’s works allow us to pause for a moment and listen to what is usually overlooked. It is a walk that shifts our perspective and opens our eyes to what is fundamental – the relationship between people, matter and the environment.
Discover Wawel you have never seen before. We look forward to seeing you!
Discover Wawel you have never seen before. We look forward to seeing you!
Curator: Dr Bogumiła Wiśniewska
Locations of art installations
Main Patron of the Wawel Royal Castle
Education Patron and Strategic Partner of the Wawel Royal Castle
Strategic Partner of the Wawel Royal Castle
Wawel Royal Castle Carrier 2026
Partner of the Wawel Royal Castle
Patron of the Wawel Royal Castle
