An honorary decoration conferred by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland:
Bene Merito
On 14 May 2024, Łukasz Cudny, Head of the Politics and Economics Department of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, on behalf of Ambassador Monika Michalisin, presented the honorary decoration Bene Merito. Among others, Inese Baranovska, Head of the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design (MDAD) also received this honorary distinction.
The Bene Merito was established in 2009 and is awarded by the Polish Minister for Foreign Affairs in recognition of merits in activities aimed at strengthening Poland’s position on the international stage. Recipients of this honorary prize come from various fields – media and journalism, scientific and academic circles, cultural institutions, etc.
The Latvian National Museum of Art and it’s structural unit – the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, have developed close interrelationship with various cultural institutions in Poland, such as the National Museum in Warsaw, the Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź, the Centre of Polish Sculpture in Orońsko, the Marta Magdalena Abakanowicz-Kosmowska and Jan Kosmowski Foundation in Warsaw, and others. This collaboration includes exchange of exhibitions, participation at international scientific conferences, and sharing professional experiences.
From 10 April to 30 June 2019, the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design hosted the extensive exhibition Into the Space of Magdalena Abakanowicz. Textile and Sculpture. In Latvia, the retrospective of the works of legendary Polish artist attracted more than 7000 visitors. It was the first time that Magdalena Abakanowicz’s oeuvre was manifested in an innovative way: three-dimensional textile works called ‘abakans’ and unique sculptures were displayed together. Afterwards, in 2022–2023, many works that were showcased in Riga became part of the exhibition dedicated to Magdalena Abakanowitz at the Tate Modern Museum in London, United Kingdom.
The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design is proud for the Bene Merito decoration conferred to Inese Baranovska.
