The main feature of the site-specific work was a metre-deep artificial pond with an area of 140m2 integrated into the space of an urban lawn. Rajkowska’s project was preceded by archaeological excavation of the site. The pond was surrounded by greenery and a set of coloured, streamlined laminated seats, designed especially for this project by Michał Kwasieborski. The surface of the water was covered with water lilies, and the edges of the Oxygenerator were equipped with ozonizing and fog–creating apparatus that, despite the artificial mist covering the pond, made gas bubbles appear on its surface.
The inauguration of the Oxygenator was accompanied by a debate on the role of public space in the city's development. Rajkowska’s project won a poll for the Event of the Year 2007, and she was nominated for the 2007 Man of the Year award in Warsaw. Her main aim was to integrate the local community, and this goal was achieved: the inhabitants of the city approved of the transformation of the square and willingly visited this enclave of fresh air in the centre of the capital.
Rajkowska deliberately chose to place the installation at Grzybowski Square as it is situated on the site of the former ghetto – one of the main destinations on the route taken by Jews visiting Warsaw’s historic memorial sites. Near the square stands a synagogue, a church of All Saints, apartment blocks dating back to the communist period, and modern corporate skyscrapers separated by small private hardware stores that look like relics of the nineteenth century.
This choice of neighbourhood for the Oxygenator created a distinct historical and social context for the work. The artist particularly emphasized the role of the trauma of the ghetto associated with this place, and the tragedy of the Jewish community which has not been yet entirely worked through. Rajkowska’s aim was to decontaminate and oxygenate the space which resonates with a density of meanings, and to create a friendly space for conversation, meeting or resting, and thus disrupting the place's existing order.
According to Rajkowska, public space is often an area of conflict that is not fully disclosed, but one can sense its existence. However, the artist’s intention was not to make the Oxygenator reveal the various parties to the conflict that would lead to a confrontation, just the opposite: the picturesque pond was to enable one to spend an enjoyable time in this particular space.
The Oxygenator was dismantled in Autumn 2007 because of the coming winter. The municipal officials declared that it would be reinstalled in the spring, but ultimately, despite the support of local residents, Rajkowska’s work was not included in the subsequent development of Grzybowski Square.
Project's curator: Kaja Pawełek; produced by The Centre for Contemorary Art Ujazdowski Palce in Warsaw
Author: Ewa Gorządek, January 2015, transl. GS