A few weeks ago we wrote about the effects of cooperation between Polish and Dutch artists in the framework of the Biennale of Design and Urban Art in Gdynia organized by Traffic Design. Not two weeks have passed, and already we can present more projects that have found their way to Gdynia's Grabówka.
In addition to the "Comb" and the mural, Gdynia has been enriched by two new realizations, which are the result of the Biennale. After the artistic Polish-Dutch meetings, two individual realizations appeared in the city space.
See: Artists from Poland and the Netherlands join forces in Gdynia!
animals designed by Ollie Horodenko
© Traffic Design
looking for solace
Three animals have appeared in Gdynia's Grabówek district: a moth, a marten and a wild boar. The animals were designed by Ukrainian illustrator Olia Horodenko, who came to Gdynia after the outbreak of war. The sculptures, placed on a lamppost or by a small square, help express the issues affected by people fleeing the war. The Gdynia animals, not coincidentally kept in a blue and yellow color scheme, are also an attempt at solace - so important for people who often have to abandon everything behind them.
I came to Gdynia at a confounding moment in my life: after the war in Ukraine began. I tried to accept the city as my place for a while. Here I noticed a lot of animals that do not appear in the Kiev space: wild boars, martens, foxes, roe deer, seals, but also the more familiar ones: moths, squirrels, seagulls. Their observation had a soothing effect on me," points out artist Olia Horodenko.
A wild boar, a marten and a moth became the heroes of the artist's installation
© Traffic Design
commemorating the forgotten
The second realization of the Biennale is a mural, which was created on the wall of Primary School No. 17 in Gdynia. Its author is Blanka Byrwa, who also works on marine macroalgae. The mural touches on the subject of the Bladderwrack Sea Urchin - an alga that became virtually extinct in the Baltic region at the end of the 20th century. Bladderwrack Seaweed can be used in the production of biotin.
The mural, in addition to the use of bladderwrack biotin, which was made by the designer in cooperation with students of Class 4B of Elementary School No. 17, was created from ash, settled acacia leaves, egg shells, coffee grounds or vegetable peelings. It's unclear how long the mural itself, which may ultimately be ephemeral in nature, will survive - but it has fared remarkably well during the recent rainy days.
During the workshop we reworked the materials collected for the project and those brought by them. Together we combined the waste we brought - dividing it into groups: dry peelings, grounds, wet peelings. The students' task was to design their own recipes for the material and make samples," says Blanka Byrwa.
A mural with a hake motif designed by Blanka Byrwa
© Traffic Design
The biennale is still underway, and the artists featured will still leave their mark on Gdynia's streets, as we will report.
