Adam Budak Dismissed as Director of Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow

Adam Budak has been dismissed from his role as director of Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow, less than a year after taking up the position.

In a statement issued on 16 May, the City of Kraków announced that Mayor Aleksander Miszalski had decided to dismiss Budak following findings related to the ‘improper performance of duties related to work organization and team management’. Deputy director Grzegorz Kuźma has been serving as acting director since 12 May, while Budak’s employment is expected to end on 30 June.

According to reporting by the Polish news platform Onet, the investigation followed a complaint alleging misconduct signed by 37 employees and submitted to the City Hall.

Later the same day, Budak released a public statement contesting the decision. He argued that the dismissal lacked legal basis and stated that he was considering an appeal while remaining open to dialogue with the mayor. Budak also claimed that the commission appointed to investigate the allegations did not confirm accusations of mobbing or discrimination, but instead identified communication and organisational issues within the institution.

In the statement, Budak described MOCAK as being in a difficult institutional and financial situation when he assumed leadership and said that some tensions emerged in response to organisational and artistic changes he attempted to introduce at the museum. He also criticised the pace and structure of the investigation process, arguing that he had not been given sufficient opportunity to implement proposed changes before the dismissal decision was made.

The dismissal has prompted reactions from artists and members of the contemporary art community. Artist and curator Robert Knoke released a statement calling for mediation and reconciliation, while artist Paulina Ołowska launched a petition urging the city to reconsider the decision.

According to the petition, artists including Monika Drożyńska, Wilhelm Sasnal, Katarzyna Krakowiak-Bałka and Gabrielle Goliath have withdrawn from MOCAK’s 2026–27 programme in solidarity with Budak.