Wschodni Express: Typographic frontispieces reimagined | Exhibition by Robert Zając – Opening night
About the Exhibition
Discover the striking graphics that accompany the prose volumes of the Wschodni Express series, published by Workshops of Culture in Lublin. Since 2014, this series has presented contemporary literature from Poland’s eastern neighbours. The exhibition showcases a selection of unique frontispieces—illustrations printed on the title pages of the books—created as part of the series’ graphic redesign.
When the layout was refreshed in 2018, the designers decided to revive the tradition of frontispiece illustration. The idea was to breathe new life into the books’ visual identity and to find an appealing way to display the titles in their original languages.
This exhibition focuses exclusively on Ukrainian titles—for two reasons. First, it highlights and celebrates the language of the largest minority currently living in Lublin. Second, the Cyrillic alphabet—with its mix of unique and Latin-like letters—offers wonderfully rich visual material. The designers of these typographic compositions drew inspiration from a range of styles: from constructivism to concrete poetry, op art, and even comic art.
The works are arranged not chronologically but by their formal features and graphic techniques.
““Displayed outside their context, these works appear as independent pieces, encouraging visitors to see them in a new light. To complete the story, we also present the full set of titles in their published editions,” explain the curators.
Come and see the exhibition to:
– discover original typographic compositions,
– explore the contemporary literature of Poland’s eastern neighbours,
– look at visual art through the lens of literary inspiration.
Details
Opening: 8 November 2025 (Saturday), 7:00 PM
Viewing: 12 November – 31 December 2025, Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Where: Workshops of Culture in Lublin, Grodzka 7, corridor – 2nd floor
Admission: Free
Accessibility
Venue not wheelchair accessible
Ask about accessibility: Accessibility form
Read more about the accessibility of Workshops of Culture and get in touch: warsztatykultury.pl/en/accessibility
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About Workshops of Culture Publishing
We are a small, niche press dedicated to the literature and cultures of Central and Eastern Europe, active since 2014.
Since 2014, we have focused on the literature and cultures of Central and Eastern Europe. Our roots go back to Wschodni Express, a project by the Ukrainian writer and translator Andrij Sawenets, who lived in Lublin and first prepared it during the city’s bid for European Capital of Culture. The name referred both to the famous Orient Express – the luxury train connecting west and east – and to Literaturexpress Europa, which in 2000 carried one hundred poets from 43 countries across the continent for six weeks.
From the very beginning, our aim has been to create a platform for countries and cultures that had little or no space to share their voices internationally. We also want to promote the languages and cultures of Poland’s neighbors and to foster direct encounters with writers and translators. Although the original project paused after Lublin’s unsuccessful bid for European Capital of Culture 2016, we revived it a few years later in a new form.
Today, we publish contemporary literature across many genres: poetry, prose, drama, young adult fiction, and comics. Our mission is to broaden awareness of cultural diversity, to promote the literature, culture, and art of Central and Eastern Europe, to support democratic and civic values, and to introduce Polish readers to authors who are little known or absent from the Polish literary scene.
All books, ebooks and audiobooks released in Polish translations are available at our store.