Your Homes Hum Our Songs

The international project Your Homes Hum Our Songs (Wasze domy nucą nasze pieśni) has entered its second stage in Japan, continuing its exploration of migration, belonging, and cultural memory. Organized within the framework of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) program International Scientific Event at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, the project represents the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław at the World Expo.

The initiative, spanning multiple Japanese cities in 2025, investigates the intricate relationships between place and identity, home and memory. It raises pressing questions about the conditions under which bonds with one’s place of origin emerge, endure, or dissolve. At its heart, the project reflects on migrations—not only across borders, but also within the inner landscapes of individuals—as well as on cultural dispossession, alienation, and the experience of spiritual homelessness.

A journey across japan
The project unfolds through a series of exhibitions, participatory workshops, and artistic collaborations:

Mino (April 2025)
The project began in the historic town of Mino, Gifu Prefecture, renowned for its 1300-year-old tradition of producing Mino Washi, inscribed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. In collaboration with Mino Cultural Hall, three parallel exhibitions took place at Yoshida Gallery, Nipponia (Collage Gallery and Daigokuden), and Matsuhisa House. At the same time, Japanese artists Yukako Manabe and Mei Ginzan (Tokyo University of the Arts), together with Polish artists Anna Kołodziejczyk and Kamil Moskowczenko (Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław), led a joint workshop “Paper and Ink–Migrations of Color”. Participants explored cultural exchange through the medium of handmade paper and ink, reflecting on traditions and contemporary migration narratives.

Tokyo (August 2025)
The second stage is currently unfolding in Tokyo with exhibitions at the Aizumi Art Museum and Yuga Gallery, realized in partnership with Tokyo University of the Arts. These exhibitions bring together works in painting, printmaking, installation, video, and photography, created by 53 artists from mainly Poland and Japan, as well as invited artists from other countries, whose practices are closely intertwined with the project’s central theme. A reception was held on Saturday, August 30, 2025, from 4–6pm at the Aizumi Art Museum, inviting visitors, curators, and partners to reflect on the outcomes of this cross-cultural initiative.

Participating artists: Karol Babicz / Marta Borgosz / Victoria Browne / Patrycja Chrzanowska / Xinyu Dong / Grzegorz Gajos / Agata Gertchen / Mei Ginzan / Jarosław Grulkowski / Marek Grzyb / Oliver Hambsch / Ayaka Hirose / Magdalena Hlawacz / Łukasz Huculak / Aleksandra Janik / Miyu Kanai / Sakurako Kanamori / Rintaro Kato / Piotr Kmita / Marko Kolomytskyi / Monika Konieczna / Anna Kołodziejczyk / Marta Kubiak / Haruka Kudo / Jakub Leniart / Xinyi Li / Vinicius Libardoni / Zihan Liu / Chenyao Ma / Yukako Manabe / Michał Marek / Daria Milecka / Raita Miyadera / Kamil Moskowczenko / Tatsuya Mukaiyama / Iwona Ogrodzka / Przemek Pintal / Wojciech Pukocz / Paweł Puzio / Andranik Sahakyan / Michael Schneider / Sybilla Skałuba / Masaki Sugimoto / Hiraku Suzuki / Daniela Tagowska / Azusa Takahashi / Anna Trojanowska / Aleksandra Trojanowska / Małgorzata ET BER Warlikowska / Krzysztof Wałaszek / Maja Wolińska / Takuro Yokoo / Honza Zamojski / Qi Zheng.

Curators: Aleksandra Janik, Przemek Pintal, Wojciech Pukocz 

Alignment with Expo 2025 Osaka
Expo 2025 Osaka is held under the overarching theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, focusing on innovation, sustainability, and improving quality of life. Poland participates under the title Poland. Heritage that drives the future, and within the thematic framework “Saving Lives”.

The project Your Homes Hum Our Songs directly connects with these guiding ideas. 

By addressing migration, alienation, and cultural uprooting, the project contributes to improving quality of life both socially and individually. It highlights how art can help “save” social bonds by creating spaces for dialogue, reflection, and shared experiences across cultures and generations.

The project draws on the cultural heritage of both Poland and Japan, where traditional materials and processes serve as the foundation for contemporary artistic expression. Heritage here becomes not only a source of reflection, but also a tool for shaping a meaningful and creative future.

Artistic vision and impact
Through its exhibitions and workshops, Your Homes Hum Our Songs offers participants and audiences a space to rediscover their ties to place, tradition, and community in an era marked by migration and rapid change. It is both an academic and artistic contribution to Poland’s presence at Expo 2025, reinforcing the role of cultural heritage in building future societies.

By combining tradition with innovation, and individual stories with collective reflection, the project positions art as a powerful medium for strengthening identity and fostering global dialogue. 

The project is funded by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) as part of the International Scientific Event Program at World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai—Call 2024 / EXPO 2025 Direction.