We pass them every day, and yet most often they do not catch our eye. Today, many of them are strange thingies, whose role has been lost over the centuries. Yet these inconspicuous objects tell many stories, reminding us not only about forgotten artists, but also about what it was like to live in the city in the past.
We encourage you to take part in a Krakow spiritualistic séance inspired by "szmelcownik", i.e. non-obvious details. The meeting will be an opportunity to tell stories about bells, scrapers, awnings and roller blinds, and to listen to the stories hidden in plates of all kinds, gutters and water supply flaps.
The participants will learn, among other things:
- what connects Krakow with the Adriatic Sea,
- what difficulties the Polish language caused to the English
- what can be actually read from... anchor plates!
The meeting will start with an introduction by Maria Nowakowska, known as Maria od detalu, who is the originator and organiser of the Detalfest festival.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE OF THE SPEAKER
Jakub Jastrzębski – is a self-proclaimed detail hunter and researcher of Krakow's fin de siècle architecture. He is an employee of the Museum of Krakow, and after hours he is a co-creator of the "Igraszki z czasem" profile which popularises the history of tenement houses from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. He deals primarily with Krakow Art Nouveau, the work of Teodor Talowski and urban haberdashery – an imperceptible detail that he himself calls "szmelcownik". He shamelessly rummages through the rubbish rescuing crumbs of the past.
Edit: Bartosz Kałużny (Communications and PR Centre, University of Lodz)
The mission of the University of Lodz is to conduct reliable research and actively disseminate facts and research results so as to wisely educate future generations, be useful to society and courageously respond to the challenges of the modern world. Scientific excellence is always our best compass. Our values include: courage, curiosity, commitment, cooperation and respect.