From dawn to dusk, light shapes the way we experience the world. The SUNRISE_SUNSET exhibition at EL Gallery in Elbląg explores that relationship through the work of more than 30 contemporary artists.
What does sunlight mean beyond marking the beginning and end of the day? The SUNRISE_SUNSET exhibition at EL Gallery in Elbląg invites visitors to consider that question through the work of more than 30 contemporary artists whose installations, sculptures, photographs and mixed-media works explore the many ways light shapes our lives.
Running until 20 September 2026, the group exhibition is curated by Emilia Orzechowska and transforms the gallery into a space where art, science, mythology and environmental reflection meet. Rather than focusing on the Sun as an astronomical object, the exhibition examines everything that exists because of its light, from memory and ritual to technology, ecology and human imagination.
Light as Inspiration and Reflection
Throughout history, light has symbolised knowledge, hope and renewal. It has inspired artists, guided religious architecture and helped shape scientific understanding of the world. At the same time, sunlight reminds us of nature's immense power, capable of sustaining life while also exposing the fragility of the environment.
These ideas run throughout SUNRISE_SUNSET, where works explore themes including climate change, the relationship between people and nature, the passing of time, spirituality and the impact of technology on everyday life. Visitors encounter artworks that use light as both a physical material and a metaphor, encouraging different ways of seeing familiar subjects.
Rather than presenting a single narrative, the exhibition brings together multiple artistic voices, allowing visitors to form their own connections as they move through the gallery.
A Historic Space Filled with Contemporary Ideas
The setting plays an important role in the exhibition experience. EL Gallery occupies a former Dominican church, a building originally designed around natural light. Centuries ago, sunlight entering through Gothic windows carried symbolic meaning, creating spaces intended for contemplation and reflection.
Today, although the building serves as a contemporary art gallery, that dialogue between architecture and light remains central to the visitor experience. The historic interior provides a striking backdrop for artworks that investigate both the physical and symbolic qualities of illumination.
The exhibition also creates a conversation between generations by presenting new works alongside selected pieces from the EL Gallery collection, demonstrating how artists have returned to the subject of light for decades while approaching it from different perspectives.
More Than 30 Artists on Display
The exhibition features work by more than 30 contemporary artists, including Jan Barba, Olaf Brzeski, Maciej Cholewa, Kinga Dobosz, Zuza Dolega, Maurycy Gomulicki, Nicolas Grospierre, Elżbieta Jabłońska, Zuza Golińska, Stach Szumski and Paweł Sobczak, among many others.
Special participation comes from Macarena Ruiz-Tagle, while additional works from the EL Gallery collection by artists including Rupprecht Geiger, Hans Herbert Hartwieg, Ewerdt Hilgemann, Jerzy Kałucki and Karl Georg Pfahler place contemporary responses to light alongside important works from previous generations.
The result is an exhibition that offers a broad look at how artists continue to interpret one of the most universal experiences: the daily rhythm of sunrise and sunset.
Visitor Information
Exhibition: SUNRISE_SUNSET
Venue: EL Gallery, ul. Kuśnierska 6, Elbląg
Dates: Until 20 September 2026
Curator: Emilia Orzechowska
Admission:
Standard Ticket: 15PLN
Discount Ticket: 8PLN (Children, young people, students, PhD students, retirees, pensioners, people working in cultural institutions, transplant donors.)
Group Ticket: 6PLN (Group of more than 10 people.)
Family Ticket: 25PLN (Minimum 3 people, including a maximum of 2 adults and children or school youth up to 18 years of age.)
Discount Ticket: 3PLN (Large Family Card, People with disabilities.)
Opening Hours
Monday – Thursday: 10am – 6pm
Friday – Sunday: 10am – 7pm
Whether visitors are drawn by contemporary art, the gallery's remarkable setting or the exhibition's environmental themes, SUNRISE_SUNSET offers an opportunity to slow down and reflect on one of the most familiar yet often overlooked forces shaping everyday life. Running until 20 September, the exhibition invites audiences to experience how artists continue to reinterpret light, not only as a natural phenomenon, but as a source of memory, imagination and shared experience.
