Multi-Purpose Castle

Today, I decided to head to the Center for Contemporary Art in Ujazdowski Castle [on Thursdays admission is free]. I saw some of the nice park that surrounds it and the center itself is a great space; the bookstore was really neat and the art was... interesting. Some pieces I liked and there were other times when I felt as if I was walking through a Halloween Haunted House - there was one artist who had several rooms with pieces of imagery or film projected onto screens on the wall, floor, or ceiling with the lights off, even one room had mainly a sound  machine with a recording that was creepy. There was a room dedicated to the history of the castle since it had been a royal home then a medical hospital and now a place for modern art. Strange combination I'd say. :-P There were even medical instruments and photos from its days as a hospital around the time of the two world wars (the castle was given to the city by Poland's last king). Some art I liked included a room dedicated to a big concept piece done by Yoko Ono. Also, there were some cool lights and these neat benches outside that had cool quotes on them (one bench would be all-English and the next all-Polish). The crowds I've seen at museums and galleries are always interesting, depending on where I am: long-haired men or young couples at art museums, families at the historical or national ones.

I walked the area near the museum and saw the Parliament area buildings, some more embassies, and a neat small-Finnish-wooden house neighborhood.

After some wandering - it was wet and muddy and somewhat gray, but the sun came out here-and-there and it was not too chilly - I had to go to my literature class (Mickiewicz, Romanticism, and vampires. :-P Movie day next class - "Pan Tadeusz"!)

Woo, weekend. ;)
I am thinking Copernicus Science Center, Jewish Institute, ? Friday and tourin' Torun Saturday for now. Those are the ideas so far!

More Photos: http://twitpic.com/photos/kab1221