On 19 September 2025, the global premiere of immersive “Romantic Chopin” will take place at Fabryka Norblina in Warsaw. This is the first multimedia project in Poland of this scale dedicated to Fryderyk Chopin, produced by Art Box Experience in cooperation with the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute. The project blends cutting‑edge technologies with classical artistic techniques, creating an extraordinary experience combining art, music, history and modern storytelling.

The idea for the exhibition began in 2023 — from the start its creators aimed to build a space that would bring Chopin closer in an accessible and moving way not only for music lovers but also for those who have never had close contact with his work. It is also an excellent proposition for families with children and schools — the exhibition has been designed to be understandable and engaging even for younger audiences, encouraging them to discover classical music in a modern, approachable form.

Visitors travel through eight thematic spaces, each telling a different part of the composer’s life and work. The exhibition opens in a scenic reconstruction of the manor in Żelazowa Wola, where we learn about Chopin’s birthplace. Alongside a model of his family home appears
a dynamic map of Poland’s changing borders, giving this part of the exhibition a deeply personal character.

In subsequent rooms we follow Chopin’s journey through his youthful Warsaw, uncertain Vienna and Paris — the place of his greatest artistic successes and personal passions. The visual layer is based on carefully selected materials: Canalettos, historic illustrations, as well as over 50 original watercolours by Beata Musiał‑Tomaszewska, hand‑painted and brought to life in stop‑motion animation.

One of the most emotional moments of the exhibition is the immersive room, where during a 30‑minute show the audience is immersed in Chopin’s music, while simultaneously admiring metaphorical, painterly images inspired by his work and the landscape of his homeland. The entire exhibition is accompanied by a personal narration based on Chopin’s letters, told in the first person — as though the composer himself is recounting his life. In one of the scenes in this room, the PZLPiT "Mazowsze" appears, which embodies the folk motifs in the artist's work.

The exhibition also offers innovative interactive experiences. Visitors can touch a cast of Chopin’s hand and “trigger” selected fragments of his works, discovering 16 of his most beautiful compositions in a new form. A multimedia interactive tree allows engagement with figures close to Chopin: his sisters, parents, George Sand, Liszt or Mickiewicz. In the VR room, prepared by studio Platige Image, guests embark on a poetic journey from Paris through romantic landscapes along the Vistula, up to a symbolic cosmos, where Chopin’s music takes on a metaphysical dimension floating beyond space and time.

The exhibition concludes in a room dedicated to the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition — one of the world’s most important musical events that celebrates 100. anniversary — whose 19th edition will take place from 2 to 23 October. Here there are audiovisual materials from concerts, archives and memories of laureates who carry on the composer’s legacy.

Work on the exhibition lasted nearly two years. Artists, programmers, scenarists, interaction specialists and new technology experts took part. The project merges painting and the newest animation technologies with interactive techniques, placing it among the most advanced productions of its kind in Europe. The concept and implementation are led by Piotr Sikora — artistic director of “Romantic Chopin”, founder of Art Box Experience and co‑founder of Platige Image; the substantive side is overseen by a team of experts from the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute and Jakub Puchalski, a music critic and publicist, author among others of the small monograph “Chopin” (PWM) and the texts for the “Romantic Chopin” exhibition.

“Romantic Chopin is a project born of passion, respect and tremendous dedication of the whole team — creators, artists, researchers, technology designers and curators. We wanted to create more than an exhibition — a space that allows one to feel Chopin, his world and emotions. It is a tribute to one of the greatest composers, but also a new way of telling culture, close to the contemporary audience. We wanted every visitor — regardless of age or musical background — to feel a connection with Chopin, with his music and his era. For us it is also a great joy that we could cooperate with the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute and together build something truly unique,” says Joanna Sikora‑Kowalkowska, CEO of Art Box Experience.

“We are happy that in the year of the Chopin Competition the Art Box Experience space, which presents Romantic Chopin, will become a place that not only promotes the composer’s work but also strengthens the presence of high culture in the urban space. It is an important point on the cultural map of Warsaw. Cooperation on this project is an example of a modern approach to promoting cultural heritage, combining artistic sensitivity with the latest technologies. In this way the exhibit presentation at the Fryderyk Chopin Museum in the Ostrogski Palace, based largely on original artifacts, gains a fascinating digital counterpoint. We hope this will bring Chopin closer to even more people,” emphasises Dr Aleksander Laskowski, Press Spokesperson of the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute.

At the exhibition, one will hear dozens of Chopin’s works — from mazurkas and preludes to ballades, concerts and polonaises — performed by outstanding pianists such as Kate Liu, Szymon Nehring, Tatiana Shebanova and Aimi Kobayashi.

As part of Romantic Chopin, on 5 October a series of special piano concerts will begin, held on Sundays in the immersive Art Box Experience space. It’s a unique opportunity to experience Fryderyk Chopin’s music live in a place that merges art, sound and modern technology. These events start with a guided tour in two groups — the first at 4:00 pm, the second at 4:15 pm. After the tour both groups meet in the immersive room for the concert. Featured are outstanding young pianists recommended by the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute.

Maria Moliszewska is a pianist associated with the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, laureate of many international piano competitions including in Szafarnia, Siedlce, Czech Republic and Malaysia. She has performed in Poland, Germany, Israel, France and Greece. Her interpretations are filled with sensitivity and technical precision. The programme will include among others the Ballade in A‑flat major, Prelude op. 45, selected parts of the B‑minor Sonata and the Waltz in A‑minor. Concert dates: 19 October, 9 & 23 November and 7 & 21 December.

Adam Goździewski is a laureate of the Grand Prix of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Narva, scholarship holder of the Minister of Culture, the Center for Artistic Education, and the National Fund for Children. He has performed in leading concert halls in Poland and Europe. His programme includes among others Polonaise‑Fantasy in A‑flat major, Impromptu in G‑flat major, mazurkas, nocturnes and the Andante spianato with the Grand Polonaise in E‑flat major. Concerts: 5 & 26 October.

Piano concerts at Art Box Experience are exceptional meetings with Chopin’s music — in a space that encourages focus, reflection and emotional experience of his work while also learning about the history of his life told through image and sound.

Continuing the educational path of Art Box Experience will be guided tours: “In the footsteps of Romantic Chopin” — tours for adults and youth on Saturdays at 3:00 pm and Sundays at 1:00 pm.Chopin for young and old — family music discovery on Saturdays at 12:00 noon and Sundays at 12:00 noon;and Romantic Chopin — evening tour for connoisseurs on Fridays at 6:30 pm.

The Romantic Chopin exhibition is not only a tribute to the composer’s heritage, but also an attempt to show him as a man — sensitive, in love, struggling with loneliness, disease and longing for his homeland. It is a full‑emotional experience that allows one to see Chopin from a completely different perspective.

Video trailer

More: www.artboxexperience.com

Tickets available online via Ticketmaster, eBilet, Going and at the venue box office.
Exhibition duration: 19 September 2025 – 31 January 2026
Venue: Fabryka Norblina, ul. Żelazna 51/53, +2 level, Plater building
Opening hours: Mon‑Thu 9:00‑20:00 (last entry 19:00); Fri 9:00‑21:00 (last entry 20:00); Sat 10:00‑21:00 (last entry 20:00); Sun 10:00‑20:00 (last entry 19:00)

Weekday special “Good Morning, Culture!” promotion 9:00‑15:00. Regular ticket (individual) price 40 PLN.

Ticket prices:
Weekdays (Mon‑Fri):

• Regular – 65 PLN
• Reduced – 55 PLN
• Senior / person with disability – 45 PLN
• Family (2 adults + 2 children aged 5‑18) – 170 PLN
• Children under 5 – free
• Group ticket – adults – 50 PLN each

Weekends (Sat & Sun):

• Regular – 75 PLN
• Reduced – 65 PLN
• Senior / person with disability – 55 PLN
• Family (2 adults + 2 children aged 5‑18) – 190 PLN
• Children under 5 – free
• Group ticket – adults – 50 PLN each

Chopin concert tickets:

• Regular – 139 PLN
• Reduced – 99 PLN

School visits: 35 PLN per person; group supervisors free.