A special event closed the exhibition on its final day.

Zakopane is a town at the foot of the Tatra Mountains in the Podhale region of southern Poland. In Polish popular culture and imagination it is one of the most important places to visit in Poland. Stunning Carpathian peaks, dense forest and distinct Arts and Crafts local traditions make this place unique.

Katarzyna Depta-Garapich’s exhibition Excursion explored the theme of the brown bear in the Tatras through its popular culture alter ego represented by a ‘white bear’. The ‘white bear’ refers to the mascot – a person dressed as a white bear – providing entertainment for tourists on the main street of Zakopane for nearly a hundred years while simultaneously sidelining the real bear. During the closing event five short films about Zakopane were presented. The first four films were produced by the Tatra Museum to introduce the history of Zakopane, its contemporary life, folk traditions, and Tatra’s unique wildlife. The final film presented was a documentation of the project that Katarzyna Depta-Garapich developed with artists Małgorzata Mirga-Tas and Marcin Tas and students at Władysław Kenar School in Zakopane. The project explores the problems in Zakopane caused by ever increasing tourism. The films will be introduced by Katarzyna Depta-Garapich followed by a Q & A and a tour of the exhibition led by the artist.