The times of austere and dull offices, where staying was the opposite of pleasant, are slowly passing. To design the interior of its new headquarters, the Wrocław-based developer PROFIT Development invited architects from the CUDO: studio. The designers created a space that can be easily adapted to current needs. Sophisticated furniture and accessories were juxtaposed with plants and art by local artist Patrycja Kryszczuk. The latter in particular sets the developer’s headquarters apart from other office spaces.
PROFIT Development ‘snew headquarters are located in a building at 41 Dubois Street in Wrocław. Wanting to create the best possible office, the architects involved the employees in the design process. This enabled them to get to know their needs and expectations, resulting in a cosy interior in which one can feel at home. The office is a showcase for the company and exemplifies the values behind it. Both employees and customers visiting the place are expected to feel comfortable here. The space is meant to inspire, build trust and make them eager to return here.
The main axis of the office is the bright corridor, which not only has a communicative function, but is also a meeting place. The architects proposed comfortable armchairs, created alcoves for meetings, which they highlighted with soft fabric. On both sides, meeting and working rooms were built. Their glass walls promote open communication and have a positive effect on the integration of the people working here. The whole is broken up by bold paintings that give character to the entire space. These are works of art that were prepared especially for this interior by Patrycja Kryszczuk, a multidisciplinary artist who specialises in painting. We had the opportunity to ask her a few questions.
Kamil Białas: Patrycja, your art has filled the interior of the PROFIT Development office. What did you decide to create for this interior?
Patrycja Kryszczuk: The paintings created as part of this collaboration are abstractions whose leitmotif is unobvious objects interacting and interpenetrating with the background. It is a play of forms, colours, compositions and textures played out on two large, panoramic formats with a total length of five metres. The larger painting depicts a large object in the centre, which pushes the composition and dominates. It is built up with dynamic, energetic brushstrokes that create the impression of movement, filling almost the entire surface of the canvas. The smaller painting contains two main objects suspended as if in cosmic space, whose forms are reminiscent of a micro-world, such as shells on a beach. In this case, the movement seems frozen and the tension is concentrated within the objects themselves.
What is the process of creating bespoke paintings like in your case?
I usually paint bespoke paintings for a specific interior. This is of great importance in the creative process. The interior is an interesting context for me, it enhances a particular painting. Sometimes the architect already uses fragments of my paintings at the design stage to prepare moodboards or create visualisations. At other times – as was the case with the PROFIT Developmentoffice – I received ready-made interior designs which were a starting point and reference for me. It is also important what the company does, what its mission, values and character are, but I avoid using obvious references. I usually discuss the details. Good communication is very important. By email, telephone or in person. I also often invite you to my studio-gallery, which enables you to get to know my work better. The next step is to prepare a digital sketch in colour. The sketch is a kind of record of the image and energy that emerged after the conversation. I then transfer the idea to a large format, enhancing the detail, creating structures and giving depth. The change of scale generates new possibilities, gives the opportunity to use other tools and is another excuse to use creativity.
PROFIT Development has given you a free hand? How much in the resulting paintings is Patrycja Kryszczuk and how much is the client’s expectations?
I definitely had a sense of freedom and creative liberty. The only determinant was a specific format and an already designed interior with which the paintings were to correspond. The idea was to create paintings that would give the interior a homely feel with a decidedly warm expression. They were to soothe and energise the viewers at the same time.
How do you view the fact that a developer chooses to work with artists?
For me, this is a sign of an open mind, of courage, but also of self-confidence. I also see it as a kind of social responsibility, a desire to support the development of young art and its popularisation. Thanks to such collaborations, artists have the opportunity to create on a grand scale and reach a larger audience, while investors benefit from the resulting work.
Where did you get your inspiration from when creating the paintings for the Wrocław office?
I was inspired by the context, the already designed interior of the office and the idea with which they were to be created. They had to be pleasant to look at and give warmth. To achieve the desired effect, I used a structure based on beach sand. With such large formats, this amounts to several kilograms of sand. I juxtaposed various shades of beige with broad, dynamic strokes of black, which also allude to beach scenery, evoking the image of overlapping waves.
A conversation with Laura Bandyk, the PROFIT representative responsible for coordinating this collaboration, was also inspiring. We met in my studio, where we discussed the general outline of the concept and details based on my previous work. The same day, feeling the impact of these emotions, I created the first sketches of colour and composition.
You are a graduate in interior architecture and design from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław. What role does art play in office interiors?
Art in such places plays an important role in shaping the working atmosphere and the image of the company. It acts as a decorative element that adds an aesthetic dimension to the space and, at the same time, can inspire and motivate employees, influencing their creativity and well-being. Art can also support social interaction, e.g. by providing a pretext for discussion or as a meeting point. It can also be used to designate specific zones. Well-chosen works of art support a company’s values and culture, reinforcing its identity and making a positive impression on customers and visitors.
You have been consistently creating the Headsseries for several years . Where did you get the idea to use the head motif in your art? Do you have a favourite image of this series?
The Heads series was initiated in 2016 while I was still studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław. At the time, I was working on abstractions through which I could fully express myself. The first Head was created with the intention of creating an abstraction with a central composition with a large object, the shape of the head almost revealed itself to me, thus opening up new creative possibilities. That painting was Head Launcher, still held in the greatest affection by me and my family today. It stayed with us, it was also on my husband’s first solo album under the alias Organik Fanatik, and when we moved into our new flat, after hanging it on the wall, we immediately felt at home.
The theme of heads inspires me to this day, and I have dozens of new proposals scrawled in my sketchbook waiting to be realised.
Thank you for the interview!
photos: Almond Studio
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