Hestia’s Artistic Journey (Ogólnopolski Program Dotacyjny Artystyczna Podróż Hestii) is more than a funding opportunity – it’s a nationwide call to rethink how art can shape the world we share. Designed for cultural institutions and artists who dare to confront today’s social and environmental challenges, the programme champions exhibitions that spark responsibility, dialogue, and imagination. Its mission is to deepen public understanding of the transformations reshaping our planet, energise local communities, and open doors to more inclusive cultural participation. Through projects that blend creative expression with meaningful educational encounters, artists are invited to illuminate global issues in ways that resonate, empower, and inspire.
The programme builds on nearly two decades of ERGO Hestia’s experience supporting Polish artists and cultural projects. “What do insurance and art have in common?”, one may ask. And some would say that both involve the understanding of human needs and emotions. ERGO Hestia found common ground with artists seeking to connect with audiences through their work. The Hestia Artistic Journey Foundation, established in 2014, provides the structure for this support, creating a platform for projects addressing contemporary social, environmental, and cultural challenges. The programme is designed to provide maximum creative freedom, focusing on the concept and potential community impact rather than unnecessary restrictions.
As the Advisory Board includes art critics, education experts, and researchers specialising in corporate social responsibility, and it considers artistic merit, educational potential, and the ability to engage communities, the programme also highlights the connection between contemporary art and societal reflection.
“The programme is designed to provide maximum creative freedom, focusing on the concept and potential community impact rather than unnecessary restrictions.”
Art Matters
In 2024, the Foundation organised the first edition of the National Grant Programme, intending to reinforce the message of shared responsibility for our world while increasing knowledge about the changing social and environmental landscape, activating local communities, and fostering cooperation in understanding the challenges of today. Under the slogan Art Matters (Sztuka ma znaczenie), Hestia focused on projects planned for 2024. From nearly 200 applications, ten projects received funding from a total pool of PLN 500,000.
The chosen exhibitions highlighted the intersection of art with social, ethical, and environmental issues. Among them, Łataj! Ceruj! Długie życie ubrań at the ZAMEK Cultural Centre in Poznań, curated by Prof. Marta Smolińska, addressed overproduction and consumption in the fast fashion industry, raising awareness of labour conditions while exploring ethics, ecology, empathy, and social solidarity. Ćwiczenia z uważności by Teresa Starzec and Alicja Bielawska presented a dialogue between two generations through painting, sculpture, and textiles, drawing on cultural heritage and traditions to engage audiences in exercises that activate memory, sensitivity, and attention. Barbara Gryka’s Dirty Blood, De-Risking examined the social, economic, and environmental impact of oil, tracing its role from kerosene lamps to modern environmental challenges.
Time of Opening
The second edition, under the theme Time of Opening (Czas otwarcia), targeted exhibitions scheduled between March 2025 and June 2026. Once again, the edition maintained the sum of PLN 500,000 as a funding pool and again attracted close to 200 applications. Seven projects were chosen in line with the previous edition’s objectives: to broaden public understanding of the evolving social and environmental landscape, while also promoting inclusivity and engaging audiences with pressing global issues through the medium of art.
Among the winners – Snutka łączy at the Regional Museum in Jarocin, which explored traditional Golina embroidery. Artist Agnieszka Grygiel used the craft as a way to bring people together, emphasising community and continuity in cultural practices. Michalina Bigaj’s project, Przepraszam za bałagan, which will take place in Spring 2026, is an artistic intervention at Wawel Castle addressing the urgent issue of culinary extinction. Bigaj uses the exhibition to explore edible, endangered species, challenging our consumerist lifestyle and shared responsibility. The title acts as both an apology for the world’s current state and a prompt for reflection on how our choices contribute to species loss. Ciepło-zimno at the Kraina Foundation in Warsaw addressed urban homelessness. Artists Wojtek Skibicki and Konrad Smoleński used thermal imaging technology to visualise human warmth, drawing attention to social invisibility while emphasising shared humanity.
While the exhibition Jaszczurka zwiastuje krótkotrwałe szczęście at Fundacja Arton highlights the return of Małgorzata Rittersschild, a Gruppa co-founder who left the art world for two decades due to family obligations. After years of working outside the arts, she resumed painting in 2018. This rare fourth exhibition signals a long-overdue recognition of her contribution and the resilience behind her renewed artistic path. Tkająca inteligencja at the Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź showcases Agnieszka Pilat’s exploration of art, technology, and the human condition. Using robotics and advanced algorithms, her interdisciplinary works probe the relationship between humans and machines. The show invites reflection on the future, blending artistic experimentation with technological innovation in an unprecedented European-scale experience.
Exploring the shared knowledge and experiences of working with materials like wood, glass, textiles, and ceramics, Ukryte parametry at Stowarzyszenie Nów. Nowe Rzemiosło in Wrocław invites both the artists and viewers to engage at the intersection of human experience and the natural world, drawing inspiration from plants, animals, and spiritual traditions. The exhibition fosters a collective reflection on the future and our evolving relationship with the world around us. Finally, Migotliwość synaps: neuroróżnorodne doświadczanie świata (also Spring 2026) at Trafostacja in Szczecin celebrates neurodiversity through art. Rather than framing neurodivergence as a medical issue, it invites curiosity about how neuroatypical brains perceive and engage with reality. The project encourages reflection, fostering a more inclusive understanding and natural acceptance of diverse ways of thinking and experiencing the world.
Art as a Tool for Dialogue and Change
The first two editions of the National Grant Programme demonstrated the need in Poland for an initiative that enables cultural institutions, both large and small, to carry out significant projects. Through the programme, the Hestia Artistic Journey Foundation provides them with resources and a platform to develop projects that are both socially relevant and artistically strong. Receiving over 400 applications and engaging in numerous conversations with people working in the culture sector confirmed that the programme effectively brings together artistic communities and the public, while making exhibitions accessible to audiences with limited cultural opportunities. For years, ERGO Hestia and the Foundation have used the language of art to foster social dialogue and support the development of the Polish art scene, exploring how artistic practice can raise questions about the ways we shape and inhabit the world.
“For years, ERGO Hestia and the Foundation have used the language of art to foster social dialogue and support the development of the Polish art scene, exploring how artistic practice can raise questions about the ways we shape and inhabit the world.”
The mission continues, as the third edition of Hestia’s National Grant Programme, planned for 2026–2027, under the theme Time of Opening, intending to highlight one of the most important of its goals, promoting broadly understood accessibility. The open call runs from October 1 to November 28, 2025, with another PLN 500,000 in funding available. The programme maintains its focus on community engagement, inclusivity, accessibility, and encouraging reflection on social and environmental responsibility. Exhibitions must begin between July 1, 2026, and October 31, 2027.
Supported by Artystyczna Podróż Hestii.
