NOMUS brings modern art into a historic part of Gdańsk, creating a new space for exhibitions, education and public discussion on the grounds of the former Gdańsk Shipyard.
Gdańsk has long been a city defined by transformation. Its waterfront, shipyards and industrial heritage continue to influence the way the city understands its past, while new cultural institutions are creating fresh ways to engage with its identity.
Opened as a branch of the National Museum in Gdańsk, Department of Modern Art, NOMUS is Poland’s youngest museum of modern art. Located in a former school workshop building within the historic shipyard grounds, it brings a new cultural role to a site closely connected with the city’s industrial history.
From Industrial Space to Cultural Meeting Place
NOMUS is built around the idea that contemporary art should encourage conversation. Rather than presenting art as something to observe from a distance, the museum aims to create a space where exhibitions, education and public discussion can meet.
This reflects a wider shift in the role of museums. Modern cultural institutions increasingly serve not only as places for displaying collections, but also as spaces for learning, exchange and participation.
The location itself adds another layer to the museum’s identity. A building connected with the working history of the Gdańsk Shipyard now provides a setting for exploring contemporary ideas and artistic perspectives.
More Than an Exhibition Space
Beyond its galleries, NOMUS has been designed as a place where visitors can spend time and take part in cultural activities.
The museum’s community area, Friends from the Seaside, includes a café, a sensory play corner for children and a bookshop, creating an informal space for meetings and shared experiences.
The ground floor extends the museum’s programme beyond traditional exhibitions, providing room for film screenings, live events, discussions and concerts. These activities reflect NOMUS’s wider ambition to make contemporary art part of everyday cultural life.
Connecting Local Stories with Contemporary Art
Education and research form an important part of NOMUS’s work. The museum includes a reading room with publications on modern art, as well as an education room used for classes and workshops.
Alongside public programmes, NOMUS focuses on researching and documenting art history from a local perspective. By placing Gdańsk’s artistic developments within broader national and international contexts, the museum creates links between the city’s own experiences and wider conversations about contemporary culture.
Through exhibitions, learning opportunities and public events, NOMUS presents modern art as a way of exploring the world around us.
Visitor Information
NOMUS
ul. Stefana Jaracza 14, Gdańsk
Opening Hours
Tuesday–Sunday: 11:00–18:00
Last entry: 17:30
Monday: closed
Tickets
Tuesday: free admission
Regular ticket: PLN 25
Reduced ticket: PLN 20
NOMUS represents a new chapter in Gdańsk’s cultural landscape, where the history of a place and the questions of the present come together. By bringing contemporary art into a former shipyard setting, the museum shows how historic spaces can continue to evolve while remaining connected to the stories that shaped them.
