The achievements of this Institute are indisputable, as are the achievements of the institutes forming part of PAN’s Department of Social Sciences, such as the Institute of History, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, and Institute of Literary Research. To paraphrase Juliusz Słowacki’s popular saying about human deeds which bring glory to the country, one might say that the significance of the Polish Academy, its place on the academic map of Poland and Europe, is determined by the achievements of those establishments.1
Prof. Dr. Hab. Janusz Tazbir
The Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IS PAN) is an inter-disciplinary research institution, whose responsibilities include research into and documentation of Polish art and artistic culture in the field of the fine arts and architecture, music, theatre, film and audiovisual art, taking into consideration the European and global context. In addition to the efforts of individuals, the Institute’s academic and research activities include numerous collective efforts surpassing the capabilities of an individual researcher and requiring a set of institutional tools. Such works, along with the collections and Library, constitute invaluable research resources for the entire academic community in respect of the history of Polish art and artistic culture, namely the fine arts and architecture, music, theatre, film and audiovisual art. The results of the documentation work conducted at the Institute form the basis for studies in all the fields represented at the Institute. The results of research work are published in academic periodicals published by the Institute, and are among the leading Polish academic periodicals in their respective fields, in synthetic studies and in catalogues, dictionaries, bibliographies.
IS PAN, holding the largest collection of archival materials in Poland and one of the richest in Europe, aspires to become a European leader in the digitization of archival material. The aim of the CADIS project, currently underway, is the development and implementation of an innovative technology system for the digitization of historical sound recordings and photographs in an attempt to protect and preserve cultural and artistic heritage in digital form.
The Institute is authorized to conduct post-graduate studies. The Institute holds Seminars in the fields of early modern art, history and theory of modern art and cultural anthropology, interior design and handicrafts, the history and theory of theatre, the history and theory of music, culture of the Nordic countries.
The Academic Board of IS PAN is authorized to award the titles of doctor (PhD) and post-doctoral titles (Dr. Hab.) in the field of humanities, such as history and art studies.
The Institute conducts active exchange and academic cooperation with similar institutions, museums and foundations in Europe and worldwide.
1J. Tazbir: Foreword, "IS PAN 1949-1999", Warsaw 2000, p. 5.