Children, their place in society and public spaces, parenting methods, and the role and responsibility of parents—everyone seems to have something to say about these topics. Just take a look at the flood of comments under any post or article about parenting.

On December 10th at 6:00 PM, join us for a meeting with the author of No Playing Ball (published by Czarne), a bold and thought-provoking book about the objectification of children, who often become hostages not only of domestic conflicts but also of political debates. The discussion will be led by Agnieszka Wolny-Hamkało, a poet, author of children’s and young adult literature, and a mother herself. Admission is free.

Michał R. Wiśniewski dives into the internet, reads fairy tales, watches cartoons, analyzes pop culture patterns, and dismantles harmful phrases used by parents and authorities alike: stress-free parenting, little terrorist, terrible twos, momzilla, brat. He examines the cruel jokes often used as a pressure valve by exhausted parents, critiques anti-child infrastructure, and highlights the lack of understanding for the needs of the youngest and most vulnerable members of society. And while the idea for the book stemmed from the provocative statement, “Poles hate children”, Wiśniewski holds onto the hope that the prohibition will transform into an invitation—to dialogue, play, and mutual understanding.

The event is part of the program accompanying the exhibition “A Name Without an Exhibition, An Exhibition Without a Name”—the second installment of Sylwia and Piotr Krupa’s collection, curated entirely by children from start to finish.