Prepare to be surprised by the transformation of  po Farze Square (formerly known as Parish Church Square). The interior of the church will be covered with 520 square meters of live grass and a tree will stand in the nave. On this night, the sandstone-hued spot on the map of Lublin’s Old Town will transform into a lush green oasis. Skilled braiders will also recreate parts of the old building’s arches, reinterpreting the outlined foundations.

Jan Sajdak explains that the project involves creating a series of wicker arches, woven onto a light metal frame, on the ruins of the church where similar stone arches once stood in its prime. They supported the weight of a mighty vault, whereas these arches will hold only the weight of the sky. The woven arches will be supported by wooden bases placed on the remains of the stone foundations of the former church, with a focus on its northwestern part. A skilled  carpenter from Lublin is constructing the required wooden frames to ensure the arches securely stand above people’s heads, while a welder and metalworker is preparing the steel skeletons of the arches, which will be woven with wicker.

The project is an innovative sculptural and architectural experiment on a relatively large scale, with a strong emphasis on safety and structural stability, perhaps even to an excessive degree (thw wooden bases may not need to be quite so solid). Symbolically, the aim is to reconstruct and revitalize the place where the lifeless and bare ruins of the church’s foundations protrude from the ground. The reconstruction will be easygoing, sketchy, and ephemeral, serving as a passing spectacle that offers a glimpse into an alternative reality. Amidst the ruins, a large tree will stand in a massive planter, while some of the arches that once stretched above the stone foundations will be recreated using twisted willow branches, like a sketch drawn by an artist’s hand.

The plan is to hang a large wicker stained glass in the air, in the central position above and behind the tree at the top of the ruins. The stained glass will be a simple, circular disc woven together, placed on its own without surrounding walls, and less transparent than everything around it. The inspiration for this comes from Leopold Staff’s verses: : I built on the sand. And it tumbled down, I built on a rock. And it tumbled down. Now when I build, I shall begin with the smoke from the chimney. To create this, a large quantity of willow twigs and branches of various lengths will be ordered. Workshops of Culture will provide ladders, scaffolding, a pot of invigorating soup every day, and other necessary tools/artifacts for the work. During the weaving stage, volunteers will be needed, preferably for several consecutive days, to grasp the basic principles of bending willow twigs, feel the material, and have some autonomy in their actions in the following days. Weaving work will begin on May 22, and it is hoped that a group of people will come forward to support the endeavor. Together, over two weeks or however many days each person can dedicate to weaving, the arches will be ready for Night of Culture.

Created by: green elements – Polub zieleń; woven elements – Jan Sajdak, Ewa Dąbrowska and volunteer;  arch base: Piotr Kloc, Seweryn Wlazło.

Details

When: 3/4 June 2023, 19.00-2.00
Where: po Farze Squre
Admission free