NGOs and artists for ecology: exhibition “Polish-German Gardens through the eyes of...

Luiza Poreda, 23 July 2020

“Polish-German Gardens through the Eyes of Artists” is a series of contemporary art exhibitions dedicated to ecology and promotion of the “smart city” philosophy. The first edition of the exhibition was published online on July 1, 2020 in a virtual form. On August 13, 2020, the exhibition will appear at the Auction House and Online Art in House Gallery.

 

In July 2020, this exhibition of paintings was hosted at the German Embassy in Warsaw, in the W. Bartoszewski, in August 2020 it will appear in the warsaw Auction House and Gallery Online Art In House; and in September 2020 in the exhibition spaces of the Gerichtshoffe Art Colony in Berlin. There are plans for further locations in Poland and other EU countries.

The organizers of the project are two non-governmental organizations, the Polish Generation Generations Foundation and the German Policultura Association. As part of the statutory objectives of both NGOs, during the lockdown and the coronovirus pandemic, 9 Polish and German artists were invited to a joint international artistic project carried out online.

 

In this way, a virtual exhibition of paintings was created, the message of which coincides with the idea of ​​the project “Polish-German Gardens”, implemented in the Warsaw Skaryszewski Park. Ignacy Jan Paderewski by the German Embassy in Warsaw and the capital city authorities. The project partner is the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation.

Ecological art exhibition

Poor air quality in cities is a natural consequence of the density of population and buildings, as well as the intensity of road transport and heating of houses. The cause is the so-called smog consisting of fine PM2.5 particulate matter. The Great London Smog (1952) caused the death of four thousand people in less than four days. The fact that smog significantly worsens health and even threatens life was confirmed by the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (2009). In a case brought by Greenpeace, it was agreed that the dust particles we inhale can have a serious and detrimental effect on health, especially in densely populated areas with high traffic density, and that such a situation could therefore trigger protection under Article 8 of the Convention. The term “human environment” appeared in the content of the Declaration, adopted at the United Nations conference on the protection of the environment (Stockholm 1972), and the “right to a healthy life in harmony with the environment” began to be discussed during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (1992).

World Environment Day, on 5 June, was devoted to the problem of air pollution. 2019 (established in 1972). In the same year, a Special Report (report no. A / HRC / 40/55 of 8 June 2019) on the environment and human rights for the UN General Assembly was prepared, in which we read: “certainly, if there is a human right to clean water, there is a right to clean air. Both are essential to life, health and human dignity. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said at the First Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health (2018) that “there is no doubt that all people have the right to breathe clean air”.

It is not only polluted air that affects the well-being of city dwellers. Permanent noise and optical chaos are additional loads. Tiring and irritating is the vibration of the constantly in motion elements of city life, such as passenger cars, public transport vehicles, pedestrians, street works and much more. More and more frustrated residents demand the implementation of the smart cities philosophy; “Smart” cities where authorities invest in human and social capital and communication infrastructure in order to actively promote sustainable economic development and high quality of life. A component of these activities is wise management of natural resources, including caring for greenery in cities. All green areas in cities, such as parks, squares, water reservoirs, are not only a natural source of oxygen, i.e. a kind of air filter. These are oases of peace, tranquility, relaxation, contact with small game and birds, places for family walks or jogging. You should take care of them.

 

The project of the Embassy of Germany in Warsaw and the City of Warsaw, under which its initiators, together with other Polish and German partners, revitalize the green area in the Skaryszewski Park Ignacy Jan Paderewski is an example of good practices for ecology in cities. Between the northern shore of Lake Kamionkowskie and Aleja Emil Wedel in Praga-Południe in Warsaw, in 2018, the “Polish-German Gardens” were established. Through the spatial combination of garden cultures of Poland and Germany, a symbol of Polish-German friendship was created here, which has become a permanent element of the Warsaw park landscape. As part of the project, a quiet and friendly place among greenery has been created, which gives individual visitors, groups and companies the opportunity to calm down and spend free time. The gardens are to direct the attention of recipients, especially the younger ones, to the fauna and flora of this place and shape the image of the garden culture of Poland and Germany. In the context of harmful conditions of the urban environment, such as smog or noise, this project is an excellent response to the demand for green spaces as part of modern smart cities.

The “Polish-German Gardens” in Warsaw is, along with the German-French Garden in Saarbrücken (1960) and the German-American Friendship Garden in Washington (1983), the third in the world a friendship garden project with the participation of Germany that unites nations.

Curator of all exhibitions – Barbara Czechmeszyńska-Skowron.

The authors of the works are painters from Poland and Germany: Asgar Bozorgi / DE, Bogusłwa Fleck / DE, Greta Grabowska / PL, Irena Imańska / DE, Misia Konopka / PL, Teresa Muracka / PL, Katarzyna Skoczyńska / PL, Witold Stypa / PL, Marcin Zalewski / PL. Media patron – ArtInfo portal, promotion partner – Eco For Life Foundation.

Photo images: from the archives of the artists and the Generation Generations Foundation.