Caution with egg frying and concrete yard jokes! Witty criticism can end up in a lawsuit for... violation of personal rights. This has been experienced by a Gniezno councilman. There is a growing number of absurd reactions to criticism and pinching of public and private investments.
It seemed to be a bit of a belated April Fool's Day. In early April, the media reported on a lawsuit against Gniezno councilman, activist and legal counsel Tomasz Dzionek. It was about actions criticizing the rebuilt square in front of the entrance to the Fredro Theater in Gniezno, which after renovation turned into an almost treeless stone and concrete space. Following the example of activists and performers from other cities, last summer Councilman Dzionek fried scrambled eggs on a frying pan set up on a heated, dark metal bench (whole video on Facebook). In doing so, he said that the square:
is a symbol of urban concreteness. It used to be a green square, with shade, benches and tall trees. It has been replaced by a concrete desert, pyramids, a fountain that doesn't work and metal black benches where you can get burned. This is a symbol of how we shouldn't change the urban space.
pyramid does not gush
The councilman did not exaggerate. Indeed, before the renovation, the square at the intersection of Chrobrego and Mickiewicza Streets was spread with spacious lawns (each with a group of several trees) surrounded by a low brick-finished wall (you can still see them in the Google Streetview photo). Opposite the entrance stood a sculpture depicting the theater's patron.
Now, after the square was transformed in 2019 according to a design by the Poznan studio DEMIURG, the space looks like the one in the opening photo of our text. After the reconstruction at a cost of more than PLN 1.3 million. There are far fewer trees, the lawns have been floored, the entire space is lined with stone, and in two places it bulges out in the form of pyramids. One of them was supposed to be a fountain, but it doesn't work. Contrary to announcements, the effigy of Fredro, stored after renovation in the back of the theater, did not return to the square.
undisclosed, discontinued
After his happening, Dzionek posted a photo of the square on Facebook with the ambiguous caption "financial pyramids for 1.3 million zlotys." The critical play on words displeased the theater's management so much that it demanded an apology. When the councilman refused, the theater filed a lawsuit for defamation and slander (violation of personal rights). To make things more interesting, the proceedings were held in camera. In the end, last Thursday (April 13), the court dismissed the case, finding no signs of a criminal act in the councilman's behavior. However, it is difficult to provide more details due to the closed nature of the case.
In the dispute with the Theater, the councilman was supported by residents and the city's mayor Tomasz Budasz (the Theater is under the responsibility of the Wielkopolska Marshal's Office). There was no shortage of opinions, including from the designers, that the implementation deviates significantly from the design and visualization. However, if we take a closer look at them, there are not so many differences. The impression of a friendly square was created mainly by appropriate framing, color saturation and numerous silhouettes of people resting.
The square in front of the Fredro Theater in Gniezno, visualization, 2018, design: DEMIURG
© DEMIURG
What's next? However, as Poznan's Gazeta Wyborcza has determined, the Fredra Theater intends to file a complaint against the court's decision. Earlier, before the hearing, it saw fit to post such information on its Facebook profile:
statement of the Fredra Theater in Gniezno on April 6, 2023.
source: FB/Theater Fredry in Gniezno
So it looks like the Gniezno farce will have its continuation. The case is quite significant, thanks to the court-based nature of the case, but it is generally part of a growing trend of nervous reactions to the evaluation of municipal and private investments. Increasingly, factual criticism of architectural realizations is being followed by rather emotional retorts from designers and poorly prepared PR departments. Taking offense or ignoring requests for comment, or information about the designer's or company's next realizations are also not uncommon.
violent and comical
Such reactions are also increasingly made public, which, as in the case described here, has quite comical results. This is evidenced not infrequently by posts by politicians and local government officials on social media, who fare worst not in the face of massive criticism, but—as in Gniezno—in the face of mockery or ambiguous jokes.
This was recently demonstrated by Poznan Mayor Jacek Jaskowiak, who was criticized heavily in the city for the needed but ineptly organized redevelopment of the city center. One of the president's harsher reactions, however, was not in response to aggressive posts, but to an innocuous photo with an ambiguous but humorous comment referring to satirical accounts or profiles popular years ago. Posted by Ark Kluk, an effective and projective LGBT activist and president of the Stonewall Group association, it looks like this:
ambiguous, humorous post by Arek Kluk—Pictured: Jacek Jaskowiak (left) against the background of the renovation of the Old Market in Poznan
Source: FB/Arek Kluk
Jaskowiak's retort, however, comes from a completely different register:
Jacek Jaskowiak's reaction to Arek Kluk's post
source: FB/Arek Kluk
Apparently, in a peculiar way, the dream of some architectural educators who want architecture and space to evoke strong emotions in people is coming true.
