About

Małgorzata Maria (Gosia) Olchowska

Through drawings, prints, models, and animations, I tell stories about architecture and the built environment. My work departs from the theme of disappearance: the disappearance of cities, buildings, and homes, as well as the memories and meanings connected with them. I see architecture as a carrier of memory, and also as a tool of power and destruction.

In my practice I investigate what we collectively remember and forget, and how the built environment shapes our identity. Each project develops these themes within a specific context: a building, a city, or a landscape. The works function as traces or memories of what is at risk of disappearing or disappeared already. Prints are often the point of departure, a medium that has historically been used to disseminate and represent architecture, and which for me creates a direct link between architecture, representation, and memory.

Małgorzata Maria Olchowska (Bartoszyce, PL) lives and works in Antwerp Belgium. She obtained Master of Architecture diploma from TU Delft (NL) in 2007 and since then she was working as an architect at De Vylder Vinck Tailieu, Murmuur and Bovenbouw architectuur. Between 2009 and 2018 she studied printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gent.

Małgorzata Maria Olchowska established her own practice in 2016, combining independent research with collaborations with architects and architectural institutions, alongside teaching. She regularly participates as a guest critic at universities in Belgium and internationally. She is currently a guest lecturer at Rotterdam Academy of Baukunst (RAVB).

< photo: We Document Art

selected exhibitions

October – November 2025 – There are no walls or fences, Loop gallery, Zürich, Switzerland (solo)

April 2025 – Meanwhile Everybody Hid Under the Table, exposition with York Bing Oh, Radar, Gent, BE (duo)

November 2024 – May 2025 – exhibition ‘It was there yesterday’ at Cronopio bookshop, Antwerp, BE (solo)

31 April – 24 April Waiting Rooms of Architecture, Red Star Line Museum, Antwerp, BE (solo)

15 / 10 – 18 / 12 / 2021 – Intersections exposition with York Bing Oh, Rooiplein, Antwerpen , part of Dag van Architectuur 2021(duo)

03 / 2019 -06 / 2019 – Verdwenen stad, solo exposition at Flanders Architecture Institute, deSingel, Antwerp, BE (solo)

03 / 2018 – de hemel kleurt niet blauw vandaag, exhibition with Marlies Goesaert, Printstudio 868, Ghent, BE (duo)

group exhibitions

October 2025 – Rifugio 25, group exposition (with Alberto Mazzara ~ Anna Rubbens ~ Anna Van der Ploeg ~ Birde Vanheerswynghels ~ Daniel Fonatti ~ Elie Laucher ~ Elisa Raciti ~ Gustave Demoen ~ Krista De Mulder ~ Liesbeth Van Heuverswijn ~ Małgorzata Maria Olchowska ~ Marnix Everaert ~ Maya Strobbe ~ Nathan De Corte ~ Nerina Triolo ~ Nikolaas Demoen ~ Rachele Turrisi ~ Sam Zanardo ~ Shervin/e Sheikh Rezaei ~Simon Verougstraete ~ Tom De Clippel ~ Vladimir Ivaneanu) . Flow, Catania, Sicily, IT

April 2024 – Animation ‘I am not going to cry‘ screening at Tilburg Architecture Film Festival NL

8 October 2023 – Animation ‘I am not going to cry‘ screening at Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam. NL

20 September 2023 – Open Studio, Cité internationale des arts, Paris, FR

11 / 09 / 2022 – 05 / 2023 CCHA Omkaderd. curator VOET architecture / scenography York Bing Oh & Malgorzata Maria Olchowska / graphic design Jean-Michel Meyers / with the collaboration of Scale Collective & Laura Lievevrouw, CCHA Hasselt, BE

8 – 25 / 09 / 2022 – Emerging Practice. Black Church Print Studio 1982 – 2022, Dublin, IR

26 / 5 / 2022 – 10 / 9 / 2022 Optimism, group exposition, Liebling House, Tel Aviv

23 / 01 / 2022 – 04 / 2022 Modernism for the Future (MoFu 360/365), group exposition, Kaunas, LT

27 / 11 / 2021 – 17 / 04 / 2022 Open Oproep. 20 jaar architectuur in publieke opdracht. Vlaams Architectuur Instituut, DeSingel, Antwerp, BE

The exhibition is an initiative of the Vlaams Bouwmeester Team. It is a realization of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, UGent in collaboration with Team Vlaams Bouwmeester and the Flemish Architecture Institute.
Curators: Maarten Liefooghe and Maarten Van Den Driessche m.m.v. Pieter-Jan Cierkens

04 / 03 / – 18 / 04 / 2021 – Daisies by night. de Spil, Roeselare, BE (with: Steven Baelen, Wim Bouciqué, Johan De Wilde, Maaike Leyn, Malgorzata Maria Olchowska, Birde Vanheerswynghels)

30 / 08 / 2020 – 11 / 10 / 2020 Open Oproep. 20 jaar architectuur in publieke opdracht. Z33 Hasselt

20 / 11 / 2019 – 20 / 12 / 2019 Open Oproep. 20 jaar architectuur in publieke opdracht. Atelier Bouwmeester, Brussel.

20 September 2019 – 31 October 2019 Open Oproep. 20 jaar architectuur in publieke opdracht. VANDENHOVE Centrum voor Architectuur en Kunst, UGent

05 / 2019 – 10 / 2019 Our happy life group show at Canadian Centre for Architecture (together with Bovenbouw Architectuur), Montréal,

05 / 2019 – Cutting Edge, woodcut today group exposition, Old courthouse, Hasselt, BE

08 / 2018 – Verknipt, group exposition, WARP, Sint Niklaas, BE

06 / 2018 – GRAFIEK group exposition, 019, Gent, BE

06 / 2018 – 08 / 2018- 250th Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK

02 / 2018 – 04 / 2018 – URBNexpo, group exhibition, PointCulture Bruxelles, Charleroi, BE

11 / 2017 – 12 / 2017 – Mostly K but you know how it goes, group exhibition, Boothuis Brauhaus, Dessel, BE

02 / 2017 – 06 2017 – Prints from the day care Linkeroever as part of the exposition Find myself a city to leave in showing the work of De Smet Vermuelen Architects, De Singel, Antwerp, BE

01 / 2016 – 02 / 2016 – Cambodia 2015: international architecture and design competition- exhibition of the selected projects. London; UK

10 / 2015 – 11 / 2015- input output 2015, Brugge; BE

04 / 2018 – 08 / 2015  – ‘A journey after all…’ solo exposition, Rode 7, Antwerpen; BE

04 / 2015 – Ondergronds: group exposition in Kunstplatform Zebrastraat Gent;  BE

11 / 2014 – 12 / 2014 – Kunstwedstrijd grafiek in CC Zwaneberg ; BE

06 / 2012 – Print A-Hoi, group exposition, Gent; BE

05 / 2012 – Canvascollectie 2012, group exposition at Bozar, Brussels; BE

06 / 2012 – 07 / 2012 – Boothuis Brauhaus, group exposition, Turnhout- Gent; BE

10 / 2011 – input output 2011, group exposition, Brugge; BE

05 / 2011 – Dexia Art 2011 /, group exposition, Brussels; BE

12 / 2010 – Arnoevoo, group exposition, Bredene; BE

09 / 2010 – Noord Publiek – proposals for an undivided city /Amsterdam; NL

12 / 2009 – Arnoevoo, group exposition, Bredene; BE

10 / 2009 – input output 2009, group exposition, Brugge; BE

awards

Proven Talent Grant (Beurs Bewezen Talent) Government of Flanders, Departement Cultuur, Jeugd & Media, 2025-2026

Grant of Government of Flanders for the residency at Cité internationale des arts, Paris, FR

Project grant of Government of Flanders for the realisation of the exposition ‘Verdwenen stad’ in deSingel, 2019

2nd place: Jonge Architecten Prijs 2016, NL (together with York Bing); December 2016

nomination: Belgenmonument Amesfroort, NL(together with York Bing); October 2016

Laureat : Dexia Art 2011 / Brussels, May 2011

Laureat : Arnoevoo Bredene, December 2010

residenties

2026 – artist in residence, Industrie Museum Gent, BE

July 2025 – artist in residence, Lottozero, Prato, IT

05 July – 27 September – artist in residence at Cité internationale des arts, Paris, FR, with support of Government of Flanders

06 / 2021 – 07 / 2021 – artist in residence in the context of Modernism for the Future program. Kaunas, LT

05 – 06 / 2020 – Residency at Frans Masereel Centrum, Kasterlee, BE

09 / 2018 – artist in residence, Black Church Print Studio, Dublin, IR

08 / 2017 – 09 / 2017 – Residency at Frans Masereel Centrum, Kasterlee, BE

lectures, workshops & public events

November 2025 – Małgorzata Maria Olchowska and Roland Züger in conversation with: Constructed Visions, dorsa + 820, Grillo Vasiu, Maclver-Ek Chevroulet, Sanchez Morgillo and Sujets Objets, Loop gallery, Zürich, CH

November 2025 – Lecture Drawing as an act of will, University of Antwerp, BE

October 2025 – Lecture Narrating Architecture, LUCA School of Arts, Brussels, BE

October 2025 – Lecture Translations, Loop gallery, Zürich, CH

April 2025 – a week master workshop Beyond the surface: Architectural Narratives in city of Warsaw. School of Form, Warsaw, PL

December 2024 – Lecture On Representation, RWTH Aachen, DE

November 2024 – Lecture Translations, narrations, excuses, TU Delft, NL

November 2024 – workshop An Attempt at exhausting a place in Antwerp, projectweek, University of Antwerp, BE

June 2024 – Lecture at RWTH Aachen, DE

February 2024 – Lecture Drawings as an excuse to make architecture, University of Antwerp, BE

February 2024 – Lecture Architecture as an excuse to make drawings, Politecnico di Milano, IT

February 2023 – Double lecture with York Bing Oh, [W]INTERIEUR I, Thomas More, Mechelen, BE

November 2021 – Double lecture with York Bing Oh Thinking through making, University of Antwerp, BE

September 2021 – Lecture Construction during the symposium Thinking within Models, Graz, AU

August 2021 – tutor FestivaL’and (Riseba Univerity Summer School), Valmiera, LV

March 2019 – Lecture Bevuste naiviteit, University of Gent, BE

March 2019 – Verdwenen stad, Vlaams Architectuur Institute, deSingel, Antwerp, BE

September 2018 – Lecture Drawing architecture, Black Church Print Studio, Dublin

July 2018 – tutor during the FestivaL’and (Riseba Univerity Summer School), Valmiera, LV

May 2017 – Tutor intra muros architectuur samen met Perneel Osten Architecten, Steinerschool, Gent

March 2017 – Lecture Passie voor grafiek, tijdens drukdrukdruk grafiekfestival, Academie Gent, BE

March 2016 – Lecture Drawing as a reiterative act, RISEBA, Riga, LV

October 2013 – Workshop Constructing a drawing, Academie van Bouwkunst, Rotterdam, NL

January 2012 – Lecture Drawing architecture, Universiteit Antwerpen, BE

professional experience

2019 – present Guest Lecturer at RAVB (Rotterdam Academy of Architecture), Rotterdam (NL)

2016 – 2023 Practice Assistant, Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Ghent University (BE)

2017 – 2019 Guest Lecturer at RISEBA University of Business, Arts and Technology, Riga (LV)

2016 – 2022 Practice Assistant Mixed Media, KU Leuven, Faculty of Architecture, Campus Ghent

2016 – present Atelier Malgorzata Maria Olchowska (own practice)

2016 – present Atelier Maria York (collaboration with York Bing Oh)

2012 – 2017 Architect at Bovenbouw architectuur, Antwerpen

2011 – 2012 Architect at Mur Mur architecten, Gent/Ronse

2008 – 2010 Architect at De Vylder Vinck Tailieu Architecten, Gent

education

2009-2018 Printmaking, De Academie voor Beeldende Kunst, Gent

2005-2007 International Masters of Architecture, TU Delft, NL

2004- 2005 Masters Architecture and Urban Design/ Erasmus program, TU Lincoln, UK

2001- 2004 Architecture and Urban Design TU Wroclaw, Polen

*

collaborators past and present:

Atelier Oh • Lamush Architecten • Bovenbouw Architectuur •The Flanders Architecture Institute (VAi) • Loop Gallery • Red Star Line Museum •Printstudio 868 • SO-RI • cronopio • De Smet Vermuelen architecten • Ward Heirwegh • We Document Art • META architecten • DBLV architecten • pool Architekten • architectuurwijzer •