The catalog... is here!

As I was sending invitation emails about our catalog and the launch party (that happens to be tonight) I still didn't have that book actually. We printed it in Poland, in Warsaw, I don't know if it was cheaper, but I chose that printing house because they were also printing "Vox Design" and I knew they were good. And professional. And I was in contact with them anyway. So as the boos were printed it took me one whole day on the telephone (I hate calling on the phone), and it took us 3 weeks for the books to come to Berlin. Why so long? The transport of that 500 kg was for free, so it was worth to wait. There were many people involved on the way, so there were also moments when some of them just "forgot" about forwarding our books to the next person. And last Monday (Feb 16th) I was really scared - what will we do if the books don't come this time? But they did. The transporter car came to our front door on Monday afternoon. Oh, what a relief!

500 kg of books.
We finally have the book, it is well printed, without errors, at least I hope so, I can't bring myself to look through the catalog, because I am afraid I will find a mistake. So I live in sweet unconsciousness. Anyway, if I write an article, I never read it when printed. So as I did the book, I cannot really look into it... But generally - looks good. I guess. My first book, first layout... A to Z. And tonight we celebrate!
If you want to know more on tonight's event - go to ZERO website. We will have a concert (Seiji Morimoto), readings (Tanja Duckers and Yaneq) and...
www.zero-project.org/zero_katalog.html

Twitter

I don't twit.

Catastrophic dreams

Since some months I am continuously working on my project about catastrophes... having dreams, watching movies and drawing.

Warsaw... (new skyline) from New World Burning series

Dubai... - from New World Burning series
This series features icon buildings from fast and furiously developing countries like Emirates, China and even Poland. More to come! The new world is burning!

Lódź by night (only)

In January I also went to Łódź, a city somewhere in the middle of Poland. A beautiful city, industrial, with one main street, new art museum and high unemployment rate. I went there because I took part in a group exhibition "MIT MITOLOGIA MITOMANIA o współczesnych pojęciach mitu" (Myth, Mythology, Mythomania, about contemporary myths). The exhibition was really really good, great works. Usually I am not really looking at art at the openings, this time I saw everything. Really cool stuff.

"Mit Mitologia Mitomania"
The journey itself was an experience. It was metaphysical, I went alone. And it was local, especially if you go with local trains. Also on the train to Poznań there was art on board - in my compartment - which becale like a preludium to an art exhibition.

Art on the train Berlin-Poznań
When I was changing trains in Kutno (somewhere locally) I bought a coffee to go in a very local kiosk at the station. It is our polish version of "turkish coffee", which I really like. And I also like coffee to go, especially in a paper cup (like in an american movie!). This cup however was sort of plastic. And as I got on the local train to Łódź, happy with my warm (if not hot) coffee, it became impossible! The rails must have been so wry that the whole train was jumping and wobbling in all directions. Half of the cup spilled around... I couldn't drink it - was still too hot, I couldn't hold the cup, much too hot (this plastic seemed to be a lousy insulation)... but hey - a local coffee on a local train.

As I finally reached Lódź, it was in the late afternoon - I walked to the gallery for the opening. And then I have realised that I always come to Łódź when it's dark. Each time I am here, it is dark. Well, I don't visit Łódź that often, still - it is always night. Maybe they don't have days there, maybe the sun does not shine there at all? Or is it just me...

Łódź by night
I walked, trams were passing by, it was cold, but I enjoyed it.

And seems Łódź is a strange and mystic city - I saw that tram going to "Kurczaki" - that means "chickens" in polish. Well, well. Where does that tram go really?
As poetic as it can be, polish province is lovely. There are so many undefined things, things that make you wonder, where am I? Especially if you see train stations in small towns, there are things that slip away normal understanding. That is why I love to travel by trains in Poland.

On the train station in Kutno.


On the train station in Kutno as well.
Sometimes however that "urban", "train", "local" poetry may go in a very wrong or weird direction...

But this is another story...

Bau Bau Bau in Dessau

As you can imagine I was busy in January. Thinking about life, catching up with deadlines, writing reports, searching for sponsoring for the gallery, painting, drawing, going out etc etc. Two weeks ago I went to Dessau, I was invited as a guest critic for student projects.

I admit - I love to be a guest critic. I did that some years ago at the TU (Architecture Department) in Berlin, and it was great. This time as well - there were some very interesting projects involving ecology, nature and bionics (my subjects!) and architecture. In another studio there were more history-based projects. I will not comment on these. I really love to talk about architecture, to write about it and discuss it. So being a critic is like really it.
Funny, Dessau and its Bauhaus heritage. Seems it is a heavy one. And of course, the food was good. Especially in the mensa in Bauhaus. As you see - it was cool.

Note: I usually don't drink Coca-Cola, this one, Cola Light means I had hangover. And indeed, I had one - a Dessau hangover.