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07.07.2021 - 28.07.2021

Revitalisation - Renata Szott photography

Where: Gallery at the Old Town Hall, Korzenna str. 33/35, Gdańsk

Admission: free

 

Gdańsk is a unique city. A city whose events from 1970 and 1988 justify the thesis that a city is capable of gathering social energy which, when set free, can cause revolutionary changes. The fact that Gdańsk is also a home city of Renata Szott makes it possible to define the artist’s search as a “tender research practice” which results in ongoing projects: “Revitalisation” and “Kaleidoscope”.

The artist’s creative attitude is close to a researcher or a collector who tirelessly gathers clippings, notes, flashcards, fragments, tiny artifacts, aiming towards what can’t be achieved – the knowledge.

In the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre Gallery, we present the works from the “Revitalisation” project. Here, “revitalisation” in literal, more obvious sense – the physical renewal of urban space, but also awakening of the cultural myths through revealing deeper layers hidden under smooth urban surface with a thousand years history in the background. Renata Szott cites reality, but does not report it. In her photographs, the city could be any other bigger city in Europe. The source of the visual material which helps her build her photographic pictures, is a city. Only her ability to see guarantees reaching the hidden layers underneath.

The project has been carried out in 2006 in parts of Gdańsk such as: Wrzeszcz, Strzyża, Garnizon, Oliwa, Brzeźno, Biskupia Górka, Orunia, Stocznia, Nowy Port (New Port), Dolne Miasto (Lower Town).

The ideas standing behind the series of photographs are: archeology of culture in the city, registering the changes happening in Gdańsk, showing the richness of the multicultural history of Gdańsk and diversity of its heritage, valuation of the past and looking into the future of the city.

Curator: Anna Marko

 

Renata Szott

Born in Gdańsk. She lives and works in Düsseldorf. She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk and at the FH Aachen, Graphic Design and Visual Communication Department. She works in drawing, painting, photograpgy, graphic design and artistic fabrics design.