We use cookies

The website requires cookies in order to function properly. Details of their use can be found in the Privacy Policy.
08.06.2026

Maria Hansen Visited the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw

On 2 June, the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw hosted Maria Hansen, Executive Director of ELIA – the European League of Institutes of the Arts. ELIA is a European network with a global reach, connecting more than 280 arts institutions across dozens of countries and representing nearly 300,000 students from every artistic discipline. For over thirty years, it has been one of the leading platforms for international collaboration and exchange in arts education.

The visit opened at the Faculty of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art, a long-standing partner of ELIA. Maria Hansen learned about the Institute of Conservation, its advanced research equipment, and several projects underway in the conservation studios. Her guides were Dr Anna Zatorska, Vice-Dean of the Faculty, and Dr Anna Kowalik, who has been closely involved in ELIA for years.

From there, the visit moved to the Academy’s campus on Krakowskie Przedmieście. In the Showroom, Maria Hansen spoke about ELIA’s work, the opportunities it creates for international collaboration, and the ways the network supports arts institutions and their teachers, researchers, and students. A tour of the campus followed, taking in the Faculty of Graphic Arts, the lithography studio, and the letterpress studio.

Maria Hansen also met with the Academy’s leadership: Assoc. Prof. Mateusz Machalski, Vice-Rector for Artistic Affairs; Assoc. Prof. Magdalena Boffito, Vice-Rector for Foreign Affairs; and Dr Anna Kowalik. Their conversation centred on closer collaboration in the future between the Academy and ELIA, and on strengthening our ties with the international arts-education community.

Our thanks go to Maria Hansen for her visit, for a thought-provoking conversation, and for her openness to working together in the future.