Explore the captivating legacy of Poland’s most stylish magazine, Ty i Ja.
Explore the captivating legacy of Poland’s most stylish magazine, Ty i Ja.
In the gray landscape of 1960s Poland, the lifestyle magazine Ty i Ja (You and Me) was a bold splash of color and innovation. Now, the exhibition Ty i Ja. Lifestyle Magazine from the Polish People’s Republic at the History Meeting House invites visitors to rediscover the cultural phenomenon that once graced Polish newsstands, selling out within hours of publication.
The magazine’s chic covers and avant-garde layouts—shaped by visionary designers like Roman Cieślewicz and later Elżbieta and Bogdan Żochowscy—were themselves works of art. Inside, readers found a rich tapestry of content: Parisian fashion collages, dazzling full-page photography, and illustrations by luminaries such as Picasso and Topor. Beyond the visuals, it was a gateway to modern living, offering recipes for croque monsieur, tips on sleek interior design, and articles on cutting-edge topics like DNA.
While often dubbed a “window to the West,” Ty i Ja was also a reflection of a Poland striving to modernize, marrying aspirations for global sophistication with local realities. This duality is explored in the exhibition through archival treasures, including original layouts, design notes, and reinterpretations by contemporary artists Nicolas Grospierre, Tomasz Szerszeń, and Szymon Zakrzewski.
Curated by Julia Libera and Agata Szydłowska, the exhibition does more than celebrate a bygone era. It illustrates how Ty i Ja shaped Polish identity, blending creativity with pragmatism in a time of scarcity. Whether you’re a design aficionado or simply curious about Polish cultural history, this exhibition offers an inspiring journey through an extraordinary publication.
