A graduate of the University of Arts in Poznan, inspired by Berlin,{tag:studenci} has created an unconventional guide to the city. Her book is a visual interpretation of the severity of Berlin's landscape, the uncommonness of its beauty, its creative potential and its open and creative identity.
The guide was created as part of her master 's thesis in graphic design at the University of Arts in Poznan, under the direction of Professor Krzysztof Molenda. Author Kornelia Konieczna's photographs are accompanied by texts by Justyna Burzynski, author of the berlinsko.com blog, and Katy Peichert, author of berlinering.com.
Berlin Insider is a story about the city
© Kornelia Konieczka
As the author of the guide says:
Berlin exists in a highly symbolic dimension for both me and authors Katy and Justyna. It was this emotional bond that gave rise to the idea of creating a publication project. In Berlin, I feel the chill of the past, the contrast between the past and the present, between cold and warm, between anxiety and carefree. Berlin simultaneously repels me and attracts me with its duality [ ...]. I created a publication that talks about Berlin as I do - very biased and with a certain emotional charge. It is important to remember that a place is a product of subjective ways of perception and the uniqueness of everyone's ways of seeing [...]. We often create myths and legends, our opinions are often the product of fantasies and desires.
Berlin Insider
Kornelia Konieczka's reflection on how we perceive space resulted in the creation of a guide to Berlin, which shows the city as seen through the eyes of an individual. The author also wanted to show the community of perceptions, wondering why, as a group, we think of a place in given categories and associations. This resulted in Berlin Insider, a story that draws us into an emotional experience of the space.
The author proposed a clean, neutral form of guidebook
© Kornelia Konieczka
Before undertaking the design work, the author posed the question: what is Berlin actually like and is it worth leaning towards a certain image? As a result, Kornelia proposed a clean, neutral form, which is complemented by visual suggestions. Each page of the guide includes a pagination that indicates who authored the text and what language it is written in. The content is based on a grid of two columns. Berlin Insider includes three thematic inserts and author photos. The typography is organized by the classic and clean Neue Hass Unica, accompanied by the luminous Apoc typeface by Blaze Type.
The guide is a collection of original photographs and texts by Justyna Burzynski and Katy Peichert
© Kornelia Konieczka
The collective fantasies about what Berlin is like and whether it deserves to be called a creative city needed to be looked at holistically, and objective data had to be compared with the subjective voices of its residents - this is what I did when I created the theoretical work that completes my publication project. The recurring epithets "artistic" and "creative" testify to the presence of certain cultural artifacts, i.e., phenomena and features within a given space and collectivity, whose analysis indicated the essence of the city, its image, as well as collective perceptions of it, the author adds.
Berlin is not only about the history, culture and urban landscape. It is mostly about its people and their creativity/productivity even in a very casual, almost laidback context.
Katy Peichert, berlinering.com
The author built a simple grid to accommodate Polish and English versions of the texts
© Kornelia Konieczka
Dobrawa Bies: Why Berlin? What were the design inspirations?
Kornelia Konieczka: My interest in Berlin stems from the duality I feel while staying there. This duality, in turn, gives rise to a kind of fascination, based on a coexisting sense of rejection and attraction. The source of this enchantment is my subjective perception of the atmosphere of the place. Why Berlin? I feel at home there, fully, I can identify with the many faces of the place and fit into any narrative about it. With every visit to Berlin I visit the popular bookstore Do you read me? It was there that a publication fell into my hands that was a collection of sketches about the city, anecdotally revealing its character. Fascination with the city and this impulse gave birth to the idea to create a book. The search for an appropriate form and visual language was difficult, as this city appears different to every pair of eyes. When designing, I wanted to remain neutral, not to settle into a particular style, which, incidentally, could easily be delineated and developed. After thinking through all the design decisions, I decided to build a simple grid that would allow for both Polish and English versions of the texts. The main rhythm of the book is set by the neutral, clean, technical typeface Neue Haas Unica and the photographs I took.
The guide was awarded in the International Review of Graduation Projects "Graduation Projects".
© Kornelia Konieczka
Dobrawa: Do you think there is a lack of alternative guides on the market, and if so, what should they look like? Who is your project aimed at?
Kornelia: I don't think there is a shortage of alternative guides on the market. I wonder who they could be directed to and implemented with in mind. Today's world has moved online. Artistic initiatives exist and will be published, but they do not target a mainstream audience in any way, and the same is true of my project. The strong trend of authenticity among the young will throw them into their own explorations anyway, we rarely trust finished products. The exploration of this topic appeared among other issues in my theoretical work "The Community of Imagination - a study of the formation of a city image using the example of the city of Berlin." She completed the publication project with a reflection on young and talented people seeking authentic experiences, gathering in creative centers and influencing our collective imaginations about them.
Dobrawa: Thank you for the interview!
The Berlin Insider guide was awarded in the 19th edition of the International Review of Graduation Projects in the 2D category.
