Where to buy art in Poland? Silent auctions and private galleries
May 29, 2025
Warsaw, Krakow, Poznań—or perhaps Żoliborz, Konstancin, and Kazimierz Dolny? The contemporary Polish art market operates under different rules than one might think based solely on auctions at DESA or Agra-Art. Although auction houses remain the pillars of the market, the most interesting transactions often take place behind the scenes. Quietly. Discreetly. With white gloves.
Discretion as the new currency
"True collectors don't want publicity. They'd rather get a phone call from a well-known curator than a live auction on Facebook," says the anonymous owner of a private gallery in Warsaw's Mokotów district, whose clients are mostly Forbes-listed entrepreneurs. "We don't advertise exhibitions. We don't have a website. Only those who have an invitation come. The rest is silence."
It's this silence that's becoming the new language of luxury. Transactions worth hundreds of thousands of złoty—sometimes millions—take place in apartments, basements converted into galleries, and sometimes even villas, where owners display part of their collections while offering the opportunity to "discuss acquisition."
Acquisition, not purchase. In this world, words carry more weight than prices.
Warsaw: the capital of the market square and its shadow
Today, there are more than a dozen private art salons in Warsaw, which aren't listed in any catalogs. Their owners—often former art dealers, artists, or heirs to former collections—maintain relationships with curators in Berlin, London, and Milan.
"It's simply a market that operates on its own terms," explains one Warsaw-based wealth advisor serving collectors.
"Silent Auctions" – a new format for insiders
The biggest surprise, however, are the so-called silent auctions. These events are organized without promotion, often in private homes or spaces provided by friendly foundations.
Instead of a hammer and a room full of people, there are bid cards, conversations with the owner of the work, and sometimes just a text message to the curator with the "maximum" bid.
"These aren't public events. The list of participants is closed. We've often known each other for years," says Marta, a contemporary art collector. "Art is more than just an investment for us. It's a language between those who know where to look."
Kazimierz, Żoliborz, Zakopane
While Warsaw remains the main hub, interesting things are happening outside of it as well.
In Kazimierz Dolny, known for its artist colony, private homes serve as showrooms, open only a few days a year. In Zakopane—contrary to stereotypes—discreet gatherings of collectors of contemporary art inspired by the Tatra Mountains take place.
In Warsaw's Żoliborz district, entry to a gallery is only possible with a recommendation from someone on the list of regular customers.
New Wave: Young Artists, Old Mechanisms
The Polish art market is slowly maturing, though it still falls short of the Western model of transparency and widespread accessibility. However, something unique is emerging within this ecosystem—a balance between discretion and genuine passion.
Young artists are increasingly eschewing large galleries and building their own networks, often supported by a generation of new collectors who prioritize the story behind a work over its price.
– “Buying art today is not a transaction, but a ritual,” says one buyer, who spends several hundred thousand zlotys on art every year but never appears at any public auction.
Ilona Matuszak
