Łódź has been enriched by a new mural. The work was created in the courtyard of a tenement house at 120 Piotrkowska Street and was inspired by the cult film ‘Promised Land’ directed by Andrzej Wajda. The large-format painting is the work of Maciej Bielewicz, a Lodz-based street art artist, who is thus celebrating the 50th birthday of one of the most important productions in the history of Polish cinematography. It is also a reflection on the changes that have taken place in the space of the city during this time.
The inspiration for the mural came by chance when the artist was talking to the owner of a wall belonging to the Old Cinema Hotel. It quickly became apparent that the upcoming anniversary of the film’s premiere was a perfect fit for the concept. Although Bielewicz himself was not aware that exactly 50 years were passing, the subject seemed obvious and extremely personal to him. ‘Promised Land’ had accompanied him since childhood. After several sketches and thoughts, the project took shape. The theme of the mural combines elements of the past and the present. The artist refers here to the characters of the film story, the industrial architecture of Łódź and the symbols of the contemporary city.
“I tried to capture the spirit of Łódź, the old, industrial one, but also the contemporary one. Thus, the mural contains references to the characters of the novel and the film, to the architecture of Łódź, and also to contemporary Łódź, symbolically represented by…. a statue of a unicorn. And although some passers-by asked during the work: But why this unicorn?, I answered with a smile, with my hands in the air: Dear friends! It is, after all, a monument to our present-day Łódź!” – says Maciej Bielewicz.
Work on the piece took about a week and took place in demanding conditions. Frequent rainfall hampered the project, but it was completed on time. The mural was created with acrylic paints using Brillux anti-smog products, so that the artwork not only attracts attention, but also helps to purify the air.
“I will honestly admit that I have a certain inner malaise with this mural. The subject matter really grabbed me. And if I’d had two more weeks, I probably would have spent them all on the scaffolding, fine-tuning the details, hiding the little ‘flavours’, playing with the layers of the message. Time was the biggest challenge. But I don’t think it came out badly?” – asks the author of the work rhetorically.
The choice of location was not accidental. It was at 120 Piotrkowska Street in 1899 that the Krzeminski brothers opened the first permanent cinema on Polish soil, the Cabinet of Illusions. The courtyard, where the mural was created, is therefore of particular importance for the cinematic history of Łódź. Now it has been given a new artistic face that reminds us of the city’s heritage and its constant transformation.
Author: Maciej Bielewicz
Photos: UM Łódź
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