Is a restaurant or café a good space for showcasing art? In my opinion, yes, especially when these places are accessible to a wide audience - regardless of age or economic status. I run establishments with different atmospheres, but they all have one thing in common: hundreds of people gather there every day. They come primarily to eat, buy bread, have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, chat, relax, or celebrate special moments. And while the food is the main reason they walk through the door, the atmosphere often determines whether they’ll stay longer or come back again.
From the very beginning of my journey in the restaurant industry, I’ve felt that the interior of a restaurant or café can also be another element that appeals to the senses. In each of my venues; Charlotte Bistro, Wozownia Bar, and Lupo Pasta Fresca - the spaces are very carefully designed, feature distinctive elements, and are centered around a particular style. Each of these places also includes space for original projects, both in design and art.

I greatly value collaborating with young artists because they are open to dialogue and the exchange of creative visions. Examples include Konrad Żukowski’s unicorn murals on the wall of Charlotte Bouillon in the former Party House, Arman Galstyan’s fresco-like study of clouds at the Italian restaurant Lupo, and the photograph on the curtain of a woman -horse on a curtain by Jacek Kołodziejski, inspired by Władysław Podkowiński’s “Szał,” at Wozownia - a bar housed in a 200-year-old building that once served as a carriage house and stable. In my opinion, art in public spaces is not mere decoration; it is an invitation to mindfulness. The starting point for creating something together was the context of the place and the cuisine, and sometimes the style, a specific work, or the artist’s personality.

When selecting works for this auction, I was guided by the same instinct I use when designing my own spaces: I looked for paintings and objects that could influence the space and the people within it.