Poles are lucky to live surrounded by forests and meadows. At one time or another, every Pole has seen a roe-deer, hare, pheasant, wild squirrel or partridge. Poles still pick mushrooms and berries, and put hay on the Christmas Eve table. Nature, in all its manifestations and aspects, fascinates and inspires many Polish designers, stirs their imagination and provokes a reflection on the world around us.
The Forest and Meadow exhibition conveys the inspiration designers draw from nature. It is also about the quest for one’s own identity. Building a narrative around our cultural differences, the exhibition shows how important it is – in the contemporary, global world – to maintain a different and unique character. The creators of the pieces on exhibit draw their inspiration from Polish tradition, habits, local customs and beliefs. They use decorative motifs, simple craft techniques and natural materials. At the same time, they are aware of how important it is to use natural resources responsibly and to manufacture at a modest cost. They also know how to be objective about the Polish weaknesses and national traits, which include mushroom picking and decorating walls with hunting trophies - the remnant of an old Polish tradition. The designers take Poland’s cultural heritage with a grain of salt, without either unnecessary pathos or solemnity. Yet, they understand that everything local and different is of important value and worth being cultivated.
The curator of the exhibition, Ewa Solarz, has an emotional attachment to many of the objects:
I like the conceptual approach to the man-nature relationship shown by Ewa Bochen and Maciej Jelski (Kosmos Project). Their simple, geometrical animal masks allude to Poland’s ancient pagan culture and rituals practiced by Slavic peoples, which honoured the strong bond between man and nature. A friendlier version of hunting trophies can be seen in the works of Magda Chojnacka (Bongo Design) and Agnieszka Bar. I think my granny would have approved of these much simpler sculptures made of steel wire in the shape of a fox’s head, which Magda Chojnacka made as part of her Wild Head series. And she definitely would have been as delighted as I am with My Dear, a glass deer by Agnieszka Bar. It is a sculpture in the shape of an animal head to be augmented and enlivened by filling it with twigs.
A similar idea was realized by Magda Jurek – one of my favourite designers – in her lamp called Maria SC. The test tubes that make up the lamp tempt us to experiment with different plants and to make the piece our own.
Flip-horns sounds like a surrealist joke but it is in fact a combination of flip-flops and deer antlers, designed by Marta Białecka and Anna Piwowar (Lapolka).
The Forest and Meadow exhibition features 24 objects designed by 19 Polish designers and design groups. Many of these authors have only just begun their careers in design. Some are still students or are currently in the process of gaining their first professional experience (Marcin Pogorzelski, Mateusz Przybysz). Others are already acclaimed laureates of international awards (Malafor, Agnieszka Bar, Maria Jeglińska, Bartek Mejor) with many of their designs available for purchase and recognised in the design market. All of the designers involved in the show proove to have and know-how and the ability to employ traditional folk craft techniques to create modern products. They appreciate the beauty of natural materials such as wood, glass, wool, ceramics, and even hay.
Most of the displayed objects come from a limited series edition, or are unique designs, and objects manufactured by the artists themselves, at times with the help of local craftsmen. Visitors can view decorative objects such as bowls (Maciek Gąsienica Giewont, wzorowo), vases (Bartek Mejor), masks, wall decorations (Agnieszka Bar, Bongo Design, Kosmos Project), as well as tables (Tabanda, Marcin Pogorzelski), lamps (Maria Jeglińska, Pani Jurek) and bird feeders (Małgorzata Żółkiewska).
Each object in the exhibition tells a story – frequently a surprising, ironic, or humorous one, and often one that is deeply set in Polish culture, albeit in an unobvious not literal way. The objects depict the Polish character and national identity, which is undeniably of a unique value in the global world. And, perhaps equally importantly, the exhibition presents the beauty and diversity that abounds in our country.
Forest and Meadow
A exhibition of Polish Design
28th-30th of August, 2013
Design Trade, Bella Center, Copenhagen
Curator: Ewa Solarz
Designers: Agnieszka Bar, Beza Projekt, Dizeno Creative, Bongo Design, Endesign, Maciek Gąsienica Giewont, Maria Jeglińska, Halina Kamińska, Kosmos Project, Lapolka, Malafor, Karina Marusińska, Bartek Mejor, Marcin Pogorzelski, Mateusz Przybysz, Pani Jurek, Tabanda, Wzorowo, Małgorzata Żółkiewska
The Forest and Meadow exhibition is organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Copenhagen
Paulina Schlosser, source: press release, 20.08.2013