Trying to expand into multiple new cities at once turned out to be a much bigger challenge than we anticipated. We only managed to secure one before the end of the season—Łódź. The rest slipped through our fingers for different reasons.
Poznań – The venue we planned to use got rented out at the last moment.
Lublin – We didn’t move fast enough to secure the dates we needed.
Kraków – The only space that fit our growing community gave us two options: either in three weeks (too soon to prepare) or in the middle of summer (which just doesn’t work for this type of events).
Wrocław – The public institution we worked with before decided not to continue, stating that they weren’t making enough to cover their costs and didn’t want to support us anymore.
This isn’t exactly the expansion we envisioned. We were too slow in some places, underestimated the risks in others, and in some cases, it simply wasn’t up to us. But instead of spreading ourselves too thin, we’re choosing to work through it and focus on what’s next.
Communication is very important to us, which is why we share our ups and downs with the community.
So here’s where we stand:
The second half of 2025 will be different—we already know where we fell short, and we’ll be back for the cities we missed.
Łódź gets our full attention. This time, we’re adding something extra: an exhibition on the second floor of our 2,000 sqm industrial venue, titled "Contradiction", curated by dr. hab. Paweł Kwiatkowski (profesor ASP).
For now, we’re putting everything into making the Łódź edition the best one yet. This experience taught us a lot—about timing, negotiation, and how fragile expansion can be. But we’re still here, still building, and still making space for artists.
The first edition of the Young Art Fair in Łódź will take place on the weekend of April 12-13 at the OFF Piotrkowska Center.
Our event already has been featured in several local media outlets.
"Off Piotrkowska" is a unique, alternative mixed-use development in Łódź, Poland, located in the former Ramisch factory at 138-140 Piotrkowska Street, now housing a variety of creative industries, restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues.
The event will take place in Off Piotrowska, spanning 2,000 square meters – 1,000 dedicated to the fair and 1,000 to the exhibition.
We are expecting
Thousands of visitors.
60 talented artists.
1 Partner - Hive
This is a unique opportunity to see works from independent artists and meet local creators. Over 60 artists will be showcasing their work, ranging from painting and graphic design to sculpture, photography, and posters. This vibrant event is sure to attract many visitors eager to experience the creativity and talent of the local art scene.
During the Art Fair, we will feature various items branded with the Hive logo, including maps, voting cards for the Best Artist contest (voting will take place on Hive, and the winning artist will receive a free stand at the next event), and a Hive Roll-Up with a QR code.
What Else Has Been Happening?
Since our last post, we’ve had the pleasure of hosting a special event to celebrate two milestones: moving into our new office and securing Hive as our first sponsor. It was a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come and to thank everyone who has been part of this journey.
We invited all the artists who have ever participated in YAF (Young Art Fair), and in the invitation, we took the opportunity to clarify what Hive is—and what it isn’t—with a link to our community resources here on Hive.
During the event, we also held a mini onboarding session, which highlighted some of the complications users face when registering and logging into the platform. We firmly believe that building a thriving community on Hive will be impossible if the registration and login process remains more complicated than on mainstream platforms like Meta. For widespread adoption, simplicity is the standard we need to meet—and there’s no point fighting that reality.
With this in mind, we’ve slowly started working on a dedicated landing page that will guide users step-by-step through the onboarding process. This will include easy registration, login instructions, use cases, and a touch of the philosophy behind Hive. Our goal is to make the experience as seamless as possible, so more people can join and engage with the community without unnecessary friction.
We are happy that our community on Hive is slowly growing and we are having various artists take a part of community contests run by @hiveartgallery gallery , we encourage
We’re excited about the future and the steps we’re taking to grow both YAF and our presence on Hive. See you in Łódź—and stay tuned for more updates!