Night of Museums
/ The Story of a Certain Fashion

On this special night, the exhibitions, winter garden, and library will come alive in ways we hope will pleasantly surprise you. Invite your friends and neighbors, bring your grandparents, and take a moment to experience the spirit of an era we got through thanks to resourcefulness, imagination, and solidarity.

Programme

Exhibitions
/ 6:00 PM–12:00 AM
/ ticket office open: 5:30 PM–11:00 PM
/ permanent exhibition ticket: 1 PLN
/ STOCZNIA exhibition ticket: 1 PLN

The Story of a Certain Fashion  | Stories from the ECS permanent exhibition
/ 6:00 PM–12:00 AM
/ ticket: 1 PLN
The suit worn by Alina Pienkowska during the August 1980 strike, a leather biker jacket from behind the Iron Curtain adorned with subversive pins, and even a sewing machine with pattern templates – on this evening, listen to stories on the permanent exhibition about clothing and fashion that reveal so much about people and their times. Special additional objects will be on display just for this night!
ECS staff and volunteers will be waiting for you in various locations – simply stop by to hear the stories between 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM.

Memory Line  | interactive art installation
/ 6:00 PM–12:00 AM
/ Winter Garden (ground floor)
/ free admission
In the landscape of Polish housing estates in the 1980s, clotheslines stretched across courtyards were more than just a sign of household chores – they were a vivid signal of presence and a testament to boundless creativity in times of chronic shortage. It was there, on those lines, that everyday life in Poland was aired out – from dyed cloth diapers and workers’ flannel shirts to coveted jeans from Pewex stores.
Memory Line is an invitation to collectively recreate this symbolic map of experiences. We have prepared cardboard cut-outs of iconic garments that defined the aesthetics of fashion in the PRL era.
/ What was the strangest thing you ever turned into a fashion accessory?
/ Where did you get your first Sofix shoes?
/ Which item of clothing did you queue the longest for?
/ What did the resistor pinned to a jacket lapel mean to you?
/ What were you wearing when you hit the dance floor at a school disco?
Each memory attached to the line will become part of a larger story about a society that expressed its desire for freedom through clothing.

#ecsgdansk | instapoint + DJ set
/ 6:00 PM–11:00 PM
/ Winter Garden (ground floor)
/ free admission
Take a photo, share it on your profile, and add the hashtag #ecsgdansk!
Meanwhile, a DJ will take you on a journey through the 1970s and 1980s. Expect energetic disco, new wave sounds, and timeless Polish classics.

Accessories with a Story | workshops for all
/ 6:00 PM–9:00 PM
/ Winter Garden (ground floor)
/ free admission
Do you know what people wore in the PRL era to make an impression? How can a single detail transform an entire outfit? And is fashion from the past really so different from today?
Join us for creative workshops where we will make fashion accessories inspired by the styles of the 1970s and 1980s. We will explore a variety of materials and techniques, experimenting with color, form, and texture. It’s a great opportunity to let your imagination run free, discover characteristic trends of past decades, and reinterpret them in a contemporary way.
The workshops are open to everyone, regardless of age. No prior experience is required. We provide all materials as well as a creative and inspiring atmosphere.
Create your own accessory with a story and take it home as a unique keepsake of the night!

Stitched with History | upcycling fashion workshops
/ 6:00 PM–9:00 PM
/ Winter Garden (ground floor)
/ free admission
Patchwork naturally connects with 1980s fashion – a decade of boldness, experimentation, and individuality. It was then that DIY clothing alterations, mixing fabrics, patterns, and textures, and giving garments a second life became especially popular. In times of limited access to materials, creativity was a necessity, and patchwork responded perfectly to that need. The technique of stitching together fabric pieces made its way into everyday fashion, appearing in denim jackets, vests, bags, and skirts. Patchwork transforms ordinary clothing into carriers of stories and unique personal archives. The work of the Patchwork Cokolwiek Pomorski group draws on this tradition of creatively reworking garments and textiles.
We warmly encourage all visitors to stop by the patchwork station in the Winter Garden and join the creative process. Together, we will make small, practical items – coasters, cosmetic pouches, and personalized T-shirts – beautiful yet, importantly, useful keepsakes of the night.
Patchwork Cokolwiek Pomorski is an informal artistic collective bringing together patchwork and textile art enthusiasts from the Pomeranian region. For years, its members have met regularly to sew together, learn new techniques, and exchange experiences, building a community based on collaboration, creativity, and mutual inspiration. The group has produced numerous exhibitions and artistic projects presented in cultural institutions in Pomerania and beyond. Their works often draw inspiration from local culture, nature, and architecture, presenting patchwork as a medium for storytelling about place, memory, and identity.

A Patchwork View  | patchwork workshops
/ 6:00 PM–9:00 PM
/ Winter Garden (ground floor)
/ free admission
Let’s create a shared artwork using the patchwork technique. During the Night of Museums, ECS visitors will be able to see how seemingly mismatched pieces come together to form a cohesive and aesthetic whole.
We warmly encourage everyone to stop by the patchwork station in the Winter Garden and, by joining the creative process, leave their mark on a collective canvas. We’re very curious to see where it will take us!
This activity has been prepared in collaboration with the Patchwork Cokolwiek Pomorski group.

Garden of Movement | performance action
/ 7:00–7:30 PM, 9:00–9:30 PM
/ Winter Garden (ground floor)
/ free admission
The Winter Garden will transform into a space full of movement, color, and unexpected encounters. Five contemporary dancers and five actors will invite the audience into an improvised performance, where dance, gesture, and interaction create an unpredictable whole.
The guiding theme is fashion of the 1970s and 1980s – from flared jeans and neon leggings to padded-shoulder jackets and rustling tracksuits. The performers’ costumes will evoke the spirit of the era and add a distinctive character to the piece.
Although the performance has its rhythm and structure, improvisation ensures that no moment is entirely predictable. The audience can expect surprises, small twists, and fleeting moments that emerge here and now – through interaction with the performers’ movement and gesture.
Direction and concept by Artur Grabarczyk, performing in a dual role as choreographer and dancer, combining contemporary movement with interactive theatre.

Dancers | Tatiana Dziewanowska, Natalia Filowiat, Artur Grabarczyk, Magdalena Kowala, Natalia Murawska-Zydek
Actors | Independent Collective of Street Dreamers [Suwerenny Zespół Ulicznych Marzycieli] – Theatre SZUM: Marek Hebel, Ewa Jakielaszek, Ewa Kliszewska, Tomasz Kobiela, Sebastian Wolf

Silent disco | 70s & 80s dance party
/ 8:00–11:00 PM
/ Library (1st floor)
/ free admission
Silence in the library? Not this time! Put on your headphones, choose your channel, and dance the night away. Join us for a silent disco that combines modern technology with the nostalgia of the 1970s and 1980s. Across three channels, you’ll find the greatest Polish rock hits, global disco classics, and dance tracks that once filled the floors of legendary Gdańsk clubs.
We want this evening to be a vibrant journey back in time, so we encourage everyone to dress in PRL-era style!