The exhibition of Maciej Rawluk's photographs is another installment of the theme of suburbia – this time in the capital city.
When I look at the city borders, I do not criticise, I do not look for shortcomings, but I also do not focus on looking for aesthetic frames. I try to be a careful observer of visual reality and, whenever possible, record it objectively
– explains the author.
The discussion with an anthropological nature will be an opportunity to develop topics related to the suburbs.
A casual walk, bearing the hallmarks of flaneuring, can be a way to get to know the city and its surroundings. In my opinion, this is how Maciej Rawluk worked. He explored space without a plan, becoming an "analogue" and "collage" walker who follows what he observes. This activity has its pros and cons, which are worth talking about
– explains Dr Alicja Piotrkowska from the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology.
The people you meet in the suburbs are a kind of testimony to the place they are in – they live and stay in a specific space, and their stay is purposeful. In the case of city-non-city border areas, this issue becomes more complex. Urban and non-urban elements intertwine there, you can find many symbolic reinforcements (...) In Maciej Rawluk's photographs, some people pose for the photos. Therefore, the photographer goes beyond impartial observation, creates a new communication situation and draws some conclusions based on it
– adds Dr Alicja Piotrkowska.
Maciej Rawluk's photographs "consist" of three planes: things, places and people. These three elements represent the physical reality we experience, social space and people. It is a kind of spectacle in which human and non-human actors play their roles, unaware of the presence of a "sensitive observer" – a photographer maintaining benevolent neutrality towards the world
– says the exhibition’s curator, Prof. Marek Domański (the Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts Łódź)
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Alicja Piotrkowska is a cultural anthropologist, a lecturer at the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology of the University of Lodz. Her areas of interest include social inclusion and social innovation, visual anthropology, grassroots urban movements, alternative communities and gender studies. (photo: Bartosz Kałużny)
Maciej Rawluk is an observer of ordinary things, a photographer, who was born in the 20th century. He is also active in film and painting. He is the author of seven books devoted to long-term photographic projects: "Przystanki polskie", "Bałuty – palimpsest", "Setka", "Posta Romana", "Ojczyzna", "Jedynka", "Wszystko składane". He works at the Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts Łódź, where he runs the Photographic Document Unit at the Institute of Photography and Multimedia.
Marek Domański is a photographer and an academic teacher, who is active in the fields of visual and journalistic creativity. At exhibitions, he presents staged and documentary photographs, as well as objects and drawings. He is an author and co-author of several monographs and other publications. Marek Domański is a curator and co-creator of research projects. He works at the Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts Łódź, where he runs the Photographic Imaging Studio at the Institute of Photography and Multimedia. (photo by Marek Herbik)
ABOUT THE HOST
Bartosz Kałużny is an Americanist, a Doctor of Social Sciences, a flaneur and a photographer. (photo by Joanna Barczyńska)
You can find more information about the exhibition on the project website (in Polish) (visit the website).