Back when I still lived in the Trójmiasto, I loved walks like this: getting off at the Orłowo train station, heading down to the sea, and then walking along the shore all the way to the city center. Usually, going from one district of a city to another doesn’t exactly feel like an adventure—but Gdynia is different.
This route’s got a lot going for it: obviously the sea, the pier in Orłowo, the abandoned “Zdrowie” Preventative and Holiday House, then the rocky beach, and finally the beautiful Orłowo Cliff.
I’d known for a while that there’s a place called Galeria Debiut near the pier (I think I even peeked inside once), but I’d never explored the backyard behind the gallery building. Turns out there’s quite a bit of art back there—kind of scattered around in different spots. Some pieces are arranged under one of the buildings, others stuck to walls, left on window sills, or spread out on the grass. My favorite part is this little hill covered in sculpted heads. It looks awesome!
It was a sunny Sunday, so there were a lot of people out walking. Folks were strolling along the shore, climbing up the cliff (I haven’t done that in ages—definitely need to one of these days!). There were fishermen wading in the sea. Some graffiti guys were doing their thing on the breakwater.
By that point I was already hungry and my powerbank had run out of juice, so I headed to Warzywina in the Food Hall of the Batory shopping center for a vegan kebab, and then to AleBrowar at Starowiejska 40B for a beer and a battery recharge.
Cool spot—it’s two floors, so there’s plenty of space and a nice vibe. When I walked in at 6:53 PM, there weren’t many people inside, and most were sitting downstairs. Upstairs, where I sat, there was literally just one other guy. Later he left and a couple showed up.
At the age of 37, I finally went to a bachelor party. (It just so happened that my closest friends haven’t exactly been rushing to get married, so I never had the chance before.)
On May 10th, I hopped on the IC 3560 “Witkacy” train, which showed up 45 minutes late. I brought along a brand-new sketchbook I plan to fill with whatever catches my eye. I decided I’m only going to use black and shades of grey inside (except for a brown fineliner I use for labeling the drawings). I’m doing the linework with a dip pen and black indian ink from Renesans brand. Sometimes I leave it as plain ink, but I also have a tiny Roman Szmal metal watercolor palette with six different shades of black: Roman Black, Ivory Black, Velvet Black, Mars Black, Vine Black, and Aquarius Black. I’ll be mixing some of those in with the ink as I go.
The bachelor party kicked off at Pixel XL – a kind of interactive game room with a floor that responds to movement. You have to wear these special socks with rubber grips on the bottom (not sure if they also help the sensors pick up your steps or if it’s just to keep you from slipping). It was my first time in a place like that – and I don’t just mean Pixel XL, but any kind of interactive/escape-room-style spot. I had a blast. My favorite part was a dance game we played at the end – kind of a mix between Guitar Hero and Beat Saber.
Then we headed over to the 32. piętro (32nd Floor in Polish) restaurant in Olivia Star – the tallest building in the Trójmiasto at 180 meters. It was my first time there and I loved it. The food was great, but honestly, the real showstopper was the view from the windows and the observation deck.
After dinner, we started bar-hopping around the city: Bunkier club, Lumi shot bar, Wiśniewski bar, Miasto Aniołów club, and the “new” Cafe Absinthe.
While we were standing outside Wiśniewski, a street musician came up and asked if we wanted some live music. It started out low-key – just him singing a few songs for us – but it turned into a whole scene with a crowd forming, including our group of six, some random Swedes, and a bunch of passersby.
We started in the evening, and by the time we were politely kicked out of the last bar, Cafe Absinthe, it was already daylight. I see my friend Rafael almost every time I’m in Gdańsk, but I rarely get to see his brother Alfi – the man of the hour – and I almost never run into Janek or Artur, so I’m really glad I came. I had an awesome time!
My visit to the Muzeum Sztuki Fantastycznej (Museum of Fantasy Art) was completely spontaneous. During a little May Day trip, I randomly decided to wander around Warsaw’s Praga district, and somehow ended up near the Koneser center. That’s where I saw posters for the exhibition and instantly knew I had to check it out. I walked in, asked if photos were allowed, bought a regular ticket for 40 zł, and started exploring.
The phone pics, resized to 1000px wide, might spark your imagination, but they don’t come close to the chills you get when you lean in and see each brushstroke up close. That’s why I really encourage you to go see the exhibition for yourself (it’s on until May 25, 2025). Especially since this is just a tiny, personal selection of 15 pieces that made the biggest impression on me. There are loads of great artworks there in all kinds of styles, and I bet your top 15 would be totally different.
For me, the biggest discovery of the exhibition was Jacek Szynkarczuk. I spent the most time standing in front of his works (honestly, I was kind of hoping to phase into one of his panels and live in the world he created), and I ended up picking four of his paintings for this list. Szynkarczuk’s got both the skill and the imagination. I think they look amazing even in photos, but seriously – if you get a chance, see them in person. The technique and precision are out of this world.
The most beautiful of all is his painting “Oaza” (Oasis) (oil on board, 2024), where I spent the most time, chatting with another visitor who also fell in love with it. I even circled back to it twice, breaking the usual viewing path. There’s something hypnotic about that cracked surface with water, the fish, and the city.
“Przystań między oceanami” (Harbor Between Oceans) (oil on board, 2024).
“Na szlaku światła” (On the Path of Light) (oil on board, 2025).
“Port syren” (Siren Port) (oil on board, 2024).
The idea of a character peeking in “from outside the frame” really spoke to me, and Andrzej Olczyk’s painting “Kowaliki” (Firebugs) (oil on board, 2023) froze me in place for a while.
When I got close to this piece, I instantly felt chills, cold, and fear. “Maska” (Mask) (oil on canvas, 2024) by Mariusz Krawczyk feels straight out of a nightmare – that weird space between sleep and waking where you accidentally peek “behind the curtain” of reality and immediately regret it.
Same goes for another one by Krawczyk: “Dom, którego nie było III” (The House That Never Was III) (oil on canvas, 2024).
Hyperrealism isn’t usually my favorite style, but “doMY02” (oil on canvas, 2025) by Michał Powałka is just flat-out great. It’s got a strong concept, awesome color choices, and really hits you emotionally.
Wiesław Wałkuski’s “Une Chienne Andalouse” (oil on board, 2024) – an absolutely stunning painting that will stay with me forever.
I saw this other one by Wałkuski for the first time at this show (it’s even featured on the flyer): “Kwiaty z Wenecji” (Flowers from Venice) (oil on canvas, 1992). There’s something electric about it.
Zdzisław Beksiński’s “Bez tytułu” (Untitled) (oil on board, 1976) – not his best work, maybe, but still very strong. Deeply symbolic and haunting.
This piece by Wojciech Siudmak, “Całkowita regeneracja” (Complete Regeneration) (acrylic on canvas, 1997), would’ve made the list based on color alone – the fact that it’s almost entirely in light tones is just amazing – and it also happens to have a great concept behind it.
This one by Krzysztof Powałka, titled “Polowanie” (The Hunt), is incredibly powerful. The antlers made of hands, and that touching gunshot wound – it says everything it needs to.
When you get close to “Bez tytułu” (Untitled) (oil on board, 2024) by Sebastian Smarowski and look into her eyes, you might get this strange, intense feeling. At least that’s what happened to me.
And Smarowski again with another “Bez tytułu” (Untitled) (oil on board, 2025). Beautiful color palette, intriguing subject, and an engaging theme. The painting pulls you right in – no doubt about that.
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