WENA PROGRAMME
2022/06/13
Silesian points of views - the Finale of the Katowice Visual Arts School Complex project
Places are made by people. Silesia is dotted with blocks of flats inhabited by thousands of people who rarely know each other. The idea for an educational and artistic project by students of the Józef Pankiewicz State Secondary School of Visual Arts in Katowice entitled „Jeden widok, inne spojrzenia” or "One view, different points of views" was born and awarded in the 3rd edition of the Starak Family Foundation's "Wena" Grant Programme Competition entitled „Świat z mojego okna” or "The world from my window". "The world from my window" was set actually and mentally in the Silesian agglomeration. The young artists tried to bring the audience closer to the stories of Silesians living in one block of flats in a Katowice housing estate.
The students of the Katowice visual arts school, led by their teacher Michał Łukowicz and supporting teachers: Damian Bazan and Mateusz Trytek, presented an innovative approach to the topic during the project's finale in June, combining a number of artistic techniques into a joint exhibition published on the website slaskiblok.pl
The aim of this innovative project was to draw attention to those who rarely become the protagonists of films, books or engaging stories - the seemingly ordinary people living next to us, those we meet every day in lifts and stairwells, but do not really know at all. The project is a kind of alert to sensitise audiences to contemporary social problems and exclusion.
We will learn about Mr. Christopher, the founder of the Transgression Foundation, who, despite his visual and hearing dysfunctions, strives to be independent, happily perceiving the world through his senses of touch and taste.
https://slaskiblok.pl/index.php/julia-wladacz-2/
In other material, a student named Julia shares her experiences of the early days of the pandemic, describing her attempts to find herself in the time and space of remote learning and disrupted social relationships:
https://slaskiblok.pl/index.php/szymon-mateusz-adam-2/
We also meet Malgosia, raised in a Silesian family. Against stereotypes and difficulties, she manages to create a thriving business through hard work and determination:
https://slaskiblok.pl/index.php/maja-2/
Ms. Krystyna, who sells obwarzanki (little polish bagels) in Katowice's market square, is shown in the context of the contrast between the industrial, austere environment and the inner beauty of the protagonist and the atmosphere she creates around herself.
https://slaskiblok.pl/index.php/julia-musial-1/
Poignant material was prepared by Marlena Kałdonek. The work consists of four drawings illustrating episodes from the life of Ms. Ludmila, the long-time caretaker of the Silesian cemetery, supplemented by a moving interview lasting several minutes, during which Ms. Ludmila talks about her experiences.
https://slaskiblok.pl/index.php/marlena-2/
The aim of the project was to provide a glimpse into the life of a person whose everyday life involves dealing with death, mourning and separation from loved ones.
The collective work entitled „Jeden widok - inne spojrzenia” or "One view - other points of views" presents a dozen more films and artistic concepts by the twelve students participating in the project: Julia Władacz, Julia Musiał, Lisa Szylinga, Maja Rachtan, Szymon Pianka, Adam Skopal, Mateusz Rzepecki, Kamil Sowa, Aleksandra Skrzypek, Marlena Kaldonek, Jędrzej Frączek, Igor Żmudzki. The pupils worked on their own multimedia artistic projects, inspired by personalities of Katowice's residents, to whom they paid special attention for various reasons: https://slaskiblok.pl.
Prior to this, the students took part in a workshop to prepare them to create the most worthwhile artistic productions possible with several socially engaged artists and local activists. These were: Agnieszka Bresler, Agnieszka Wojciechowska-Sej, Dominika Łapka, Tomaszem Jurkiewicz and Edyta Bystroń. The educators sensitised participants to contemporary social issues and helped them find the best artistic techniques to convey their stories. There was also a workshop with psychotherapist Hanna Puszczewicz, who prepared the pupils for their conversations with the protagonists of the individual project works, as in many cases these were the first ever difficult and serious conversations conducted by the pupils with people who were strangers to them.
More about the project: https://starakfoundation.org/pl/wena/edycja/_jeden_widok_inne_spojrzenia_
