To The Ends Of The Earth
The National Geographic Magazine Celebrates Five Years In Poland With An Exhibition At The Manggha Centre (7th October-9th November).
You could write a chapter about each of the ravishing photographs in the wonderful exhibition that opened last night at the Manghha centre. With everything from a pre-war black and white portrait of the infant Dalai Lama, to macaque monkeys taking a bath in a hot spring in the Japanese mountains, to a murky underwater shot of the sunken Titanic, there's likely to be something to capture the imagination of both toddlers and professors.
The Manggha Centre is a place that is often overlooked by visitors, but this marvellous exhibition provides the perfect excuse to cross the river.
The striking Japanese styled building emerged under the aegis of two Polish stars, Andrzej Wajda, the grand old man of Polish cinema, and Krzysztof Ingarden, one of the country's most distinguished architects.
The current exhibition celebrates five years of the National Geographic in Poland, as well as the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Manggha Centre.
A smattering of fine Polish photographs have been culled from the back catalogue of the last five years, and these hang alongside works by some of the world's most famous photographers, dating all the way back to beginnings of National Geographic a century ago.
But enough blurb - the best thing is to just go and see the exhibition for yourself. Don't miss it!
**Getting to the Manggha Centre is staightforward. If you're standing by the river at the foot of the castle you can't miss it. The flowing, modernist building is the main focal point on the other side of the river. If the weather is good, it's a pleasant walk to stroll south down the river to the Grunwald Bridge (Most Grunwaldski). Cross over and it's a minute's walk back up on your right. All in all its about 10 minutes stroll from Wawel Castle.**