At this year’s London Design Biennale, the Polish Pavilion was honoured with one of the event’s top accolades. The installation, entitled ‘Record of Waiting’, won the award for the most inspiring interpretation of the theme of the fifth edition of the Biennale – ‘Surface Reflections’. The jury appreciated the project for its in-depth approach to the issue of time and the experience of waiting. The exhibition will be open to the public until 29 June 2025. Its authors are Jakub Gawkowski, Monika Rosińska and Maciej Siuda.
‘Record of Waiting’ as a form of social and aesthetic reflection
The Polish team’s concept for the exhibition is to materialise the abstract experience of the passage of time. The wooden, almost lace-decorated installation draws on the highland tradition of woodcarving. The ornament becomes a carrier of content here, making it possible to show waiting as an obvious form of inactivity, but also as a tool of control, social tension or a source of hope. The exhibition attempts to capture waiting in terms of a phenomenon that is simultaneously personal and political. The team of artists presents two parallel perspectives on the experience of waiting. The first is captured in the form of figures and statistics that show the scale of the phenomenon – from queues for documents, to systemic delays, to administrative processes that last for months. The second is the perspective of the individual, whose experience is fraught with emotion and personal tension. “We are all waiting, but waiting is not always a choice” – say the curators. They further stress that it is institutional and economic conditions that determine who has to wait and for how long.
A space of sculpture, data and success
The installation ‘Record of Waiting’ consists of 12 scenes carved in wood that depict specific situations from the everyday life of Polish residents. They show, among other things, hours spent in traffic jams, looking out for rain in a drought, paying off a mortgage for many years or waiting for an appointment with a psychiatrist in the public health service. The unique sculptures were made by experienced woodcarvers and students from Zakopane’s art and vocational schools. Each detail of the ornament symbolises the length and intensity of a particular type of waiting. This year’s award is another success for the Adam Mickiewicz Institute at the London Biennale. Two years ago, the project ‘The Poetics of Necessity’ received the event’s top prize.
“We are delighted that it was ‘The Record of Waiting’ that attracted the attention of the international jury. The artists show that what we consider every day as a waste of time – waiting – can become a space for important reflection. Moreover, they emphasise the role of in-depth research design as a tool for telling about social realities – about inequalities, frustrations and emotions accompanying life in the contemporary world, using Poland as an example.”
“Record of Waiting” – a story about time and inequality
The exhibition evokes Polish folk traditions and supplements them with contemporary data. On the walls of the pavilion, among other things, there are summaries of the time it takes to make individual woodcarving patterns and statistical information on waiting in different social groups. This allows viewers to look at time not only as something abstract, but also as a measurable, material element of reality. The woodcarving tradition that inspired the project’s creators comes from the pastoral culture of the Podhale region. The craftsmen there have passed down carving patterns and techniques for generations. Today, however, they bring their craft to contemporary discussions about social structure and the role of design. The work of artists such as Józef and Anna Bukowski or Wojciech Bachleda-Dorcarz allows historical techniques to collide with current social issues in a unique way.
Poland at the Biennale
The Adam Mickiewicz Institute has been presenting and promoting Polish projects in London for years. In 2023, the Polish exhibition won first prize for a project dedicated to solidarity and support during the war in Ukraine. Two years earlier, the installation ‘House Clothed’ was presented, which also gained notoriety outside the UK. This year’s success of ‘Record of Waiting’ confirms the continuity and effectiveness of the Polish presence in the arena of international design.
About the London Design Biennale
The London Design Biennale is one of the most important events on the map of international design. It takes place every two years at Somerset House in London, bringing together representatives from all over the world to present innovative projects that address current social, cultural and political issues. Cultural institutions, design studios and artists from more than 40 countries and regions participate in the Biennale. Honours are awarded by an international jury of experts in design, architecture and contemporary art.
Source: London Design Biennale, Adam Mickiewicz Institute
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