The starting point for the course was a series of ethnographic walks around 艁贸d藕, as well as observations of phenomena related to the crisis of urban space. Participants documented, among other things, processes of expansive urbanisation, the disappearance of green areas, spatial inequalities, surveillance and tensions present in the urban landscape.
The collected photographic material became the basis for creating initial interpretative collages, which later developed into more complex research projects. In many cases, these employed forms traditionally associated with art or entertainment.
Diverse Forms of Visual Expression
The exhibition featured works using a wide range of visual forms: a zine, a comic, a game, stop鈥憁otion animation and collages. Individual creative teams addressed themes such as spatial inequalities, human relationships with urban nature, and multispecies coexistence in the city. All projects were based on independently collected research material, photographs taken during fieldwork walks and original visual interpretations.
The presented works included:
- 鈥淧艂补锄颈办鈥� [Amphibian] 鈥� card game
Natalia 艁azarska, Magdalena R贸偶nowicz, Sandra Skibi艅ska - 鈥淢颈别蝉锄办补苍颈别肠鈥损谤辞诲耻办迟鈥� [Resident鈥揚roduct] 鈥� zine
Ewa Kubajka, Urszula Kulawczyk - 鈥淢iasto kontrast贸w鈥� [City of Contrasts] 鈥� collage triptych
Oliwia Kowalska, Piotr Pejski, Krystian Kowalski - 鈥淲 klatce鈥� [In a Cage] 鈥� anthropological comic
Nadia Owsianka, Oliwia Tr膮bska, Natalia Litwin - 鈥淢iasto migocz膮ce 鈥� miasto zjednoczone鈥� [Flickering City 鈥� United City]
Natalia W贸jcik, Gabriela Czo艂aj艂o, Wiktoria Gruchalska, Lykos Ciesielskie
A Mural Painting as the Culmination of the Creative Process
The presentation of a mural painting created by 艁ukasz Kundzicz, known primarily as Luks.przez.iks was a special highlight of the event. Collages created by students at the beginning of the semester constituted the starting point for his project. The artist translated their motifs and ideas into a large-scale composition, which was developed throughout the day of the exhibition.
The active participation of students, who worked together with the artist to select symbols, drawings and themes that best reflected the experience of the entire course, was an important part of the process. As a result, the mural became not only a work inspired by student projects, but also a collective summary of the research and creative process.
"W klatce鈥� [In a Cage] is available via the QR code.
鈥淢iasto migocz膮ce 鈥� miasto zjednoczone鈥� [Flickering City 鈥� United City]
鈥濸艂azik鈥� [Amphibian] 鈥� the card game, and 鈥濵ieszkaniec鈥損rodukt鈥� [Resident鈥揚roduct] 鈥� the zine, are available at CentROOM.
Anthropology Between Science and Art
The project aligns with the growing art & science movement, which combines artistic practices with scientific reflection. One of the key assumptions of the course was to demonstrate that anthropology does not have to be limited to written text. Ethnographic knowledge can also be communicated through images, visual narratives, games, animation or activities in public space.
In this sense, the exhibition was not only a presentation of students鈥� work, but also an exploration of different ways of telling stories about social reality. The final presentation showed that visual forms of research and representation can become fully-fledged anthropological tools 鈥� enabling both the analysis of contemporary urban issues and the building of dialogue between science, art and the lived experience of local space.
We warmly congratulate all artists and researchers on this original and successful project.
Source: Dr Alicja Piotrowska
Photos: Ronald W贸jcik (Faculty of Philosophy and History, 91桃色)