LKW Gallery
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
Category
Project Description
LKW Gallery is one of art objects of the Outdoor Gallery of the City of Gdańsk – a multi-functional truck jammed under a viaduct. It is an art installation and a place for cultural events integrating the local community. Over the years, it served as an educational space in which free workshops and holiday camps for children and youth from the Lower Town took place. During the pandemic, it was taken over by young local artists, and it became the artistic and cultural window of Gdańsk.
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Description of the project
Summary
LAZNIA CCA manages the project being a part of a broader scope of works aiming at revitalisation of the Lower Town (Dolne Miasto) district, an area abundant in historical edifices but at the same time isolated from the centre and degraded. It is anticipated as a long-term plan and is supposed to build up a permanent collection of works of art in urban space within the Outdoor Gallery of the City of Gdansk project. It also initiated changes of the character of the district where LAZNIA is based.
The artworks assigned for realization are chosen by an international jury: Enrico Lunghi (Curator, Luxembourg), Jacek Dominiczak (Professor at the Fine Arts Academy in Gdańsk), Bettina Steinbrügge (Director of Kunstverein in Hamburg), Adam Budak (Curator, Prague), Norbert Weber (Member of the International Board of Experts of the Museum of Lativian Modern Art in Riga), Julia Draganovic (Director of the German Academy in Rome Villa Massimo), Jadwiga Charzyńska (Director of the LAZNIA in Gdańsk)
So far 5 editions of the competition have taken place. Among the awarded artists there were: Philippe Rahm, Esther Stocker, Carmen Einfinger, Bert Theis, Lex Rijkers and Daniel Milohnic
In 2005 the main prize was given to LKW Gallery designed by Daniel Milohnic and Lex Rijkers. According to the jury, it was the most ambiguous and thought-provoking project, endowed with a multitude of possible interpretations but at the same time, very close to people's everyday experiences. It aroused interest owing to its wonderful simplicity of materials as well as its legibility to residents of the Lower Town
A car squeezed under the flyover symbolically reflects the situation of the Lower Town district, cut off from the Old Town. It symbolises differences in the social situation of the neighbouring areas. The form of the object and the space that it represents opens many possibilities for use. It has performed as a place for the presentation of educational and artistic events organised by LAZNIA
Key objectives for sustainability
The artistic project has been based on the less waste concept - the art object was made from an already existing truck, saved from scrapping. The container, which was placed on the truck’s trailer and intended for functional functions, was also recovered. The choice of a container as an element of the installation symbolically refers to the port heritage of Gdańsk, which is the pride of the city, but on the other hand creates new challenges, such as generating a large carbon footprint through sea transport.
The work of art in the form of a truck has become an expression of the cultural politics of "degrowth". LKW Gallery not only is an independent art facility, but also an arena for cultural events which builds the local community open to otherness and diversity, provoking dialogue through art and education. The idea of LKW Gallery stands against the system of overproduction of objects which are not applicable and lead to exploitation of energy and land resources. The authors of the LKW Gallery have chosen a different path.
The artists used a typical object known from the communication space which they assigned a new function, thus increasing its life. This way, a very large object located at the intersection of two districts has become a “reuse” facility and a new meeting place, serving residents and artists for new purposes.
LKW Gallery has been operating continuously for sixteen years. Inside and around the truck, countless free educational and cultural activities for children and adolescents have been organized, mainly including holiday activities (day camps) and art therapy classes for children from families suffering from socio-economic exclusion.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
LKW Gallery is situated under the flyover which constitutes the border between the Main Town and the Lower Town. Before the artistic intervention, it was a gloomy, neglected and unpleasant place. It represented a symbolic barrier separating the inhabitants of the Lower Town from the historical centre, at the same time dividing them into the better and worse zones, contributing to the deepening of social divisions. Thanks to the implementation of the Outdoor Gallery of the City of Gdansk, this place was completely disenchanted. The transformation was possible owing to realization of three works of art - Invisible Gate (the flyover was clad with aesthetic metal cladding with a mirror effect), Amber Drops (development of a square in the form of beach with benches to rest and the installation of artistic objects - energy-saving LED lamps imitating large amber stones) and, obviously, the LKW Gallery.
All activities within the framework of the project are supposed to enable creation of permanent elements and artistic qualities in the landscape of the district by:
• integrating the area with permanent elements of art, such as art installations, projections etc,
• creating place aimed at stimulating encounters of the local community and guests, providing leisure time attractions, i.e. concerts or meetings with artists,
• historical and present day reflection on the condition of the agglomeration, organisation of meetings or symposia devoted to historical topics relating to the city’s and district’s history,
• educating children and the youth, hosting permanent educational workshops inside and in the area of LKW Gallery work of art, which is placed near riverside making it a more friendly space for the creativity of the youngsters.
Owing to the increase in the aesthetic value of the surroundings of LKW Gallery, the place which used to be unpleasant in the past now attracts many Gdansk residents of all ages.
Key objectives for inclusion
LAZNIA CCA has been taking part in the social and architectural transformation of the Lower Town which has required close cooperation with artists, scientists, planning engineers, architects and politicians. The purpose has been to make this part of the city more accessible and to create a new quality of cultural potential for the citizens of Tricity, as well as a wider audience. The artistic activities run within the project have been based on international cooperation and the use of EU infrastructure funds which, with proper conceptualization, could bring economic advantages serving both the local community and the city itself.
The LKW Gallery artist project is a container truck, stuck under the bridge which signified the space of the competition, which appears to have come to a dead end right at the very beginning. The inner part of the container has become a multifunctional place, which has been used for several events. It is possible to organize exhibitions, readings, concerts, projections and film shows there. The location can be reached easily from the city centre by pedestrians and the people concerned, as well as by the people from the district. This has made it a meeting point for different groups of people: the youth from the Lower Town district, creative people, artists and tourists.
However, placing it in public space has allowed for greater integration of the local community, education for youngsters and organizing projects, which motivate the residents. The piece was not intended as an independent work of art but owing to various artistic ventures hosted there, it has become one. The project envisages filling the area with new energy, i.e. creating and hosting the permanent curator’s programme of LAZNIA. Due to this, it is necessary to guarantee financial means for cultural, educational and socially beneficial activity in order to achieve further success. The object can act as an information point, a meeting place and inspiration for the viewers
Results in relation to category
The idea of creating the LKW Gallery in the Lower Town was related to the special situation of this part of Gdańsk. The inhabitants of the district were separated from the rest of the city by communication junctions and expressways. This urban problem resulted from the implementation of plans made during the post-war reconstruction of Gdańsk. As a consequence, many inhabitants of the Lower Town struggled with the poor housing and economic situation as well as unemployment.
Art in public space realized in the LKW Gallery aims to stimulate real and visible changes in the environment and to solve the problems of the Lower Town. The activities carried out at the LKW Gallery oppose stigma and cultural exclusion, disenchanting at the same time the stereotype of the so-called bad neighborhood. The cultural potential of LKW Gallery also counteracts the cultural exclusion of the inhabitants of the Lower Town.
LKW Gallery project became famous mainly as a place for educational activities aimed at younger residents of the district. Most importantly, these were free and open workshops, conducted by artists and specialists from various artistic fields, also in cooperation with local schools. It was an offer addressed primarily to families who did not have the funds to provide their children with holiday trips. Educational activities at LKW Gallery had a real impact on improving the quality of life of the youngest residents - who could spend their holidays creatively and actively.
However, 2020 brought new challenges and new problems. The pandemic prevented the implementation of educational activities in the truck. However, LKW Gallery has been adapted to present works of local artists and became one of the few active exhibition spaces for contemporary art realizing the Windows 2020 project. These activities also contributed to the perception of the district as a cultural centre sensitive to social change.
How Citizens benefit
LKW Gallery’s form and interior gives many possibilities for use. Placing it in public space allowed for greater integration of local community, education for the young and the projects which motivate the inhabitants. The piece itself is not an independent work of art but it has become one owing to various educational and artistic ventures organized by LAZNIA. LKW has become an easily accessible, alternative cultural centre – a place for regular workshops, exhibitions, film projections and other forms of cultural and artistic activity.
The most important function of the LKW Gallery is adapting its interior to the needs of educational workshops. The truck has been equipped with all the necessary facilities.These free educational activities for children and youth are organized in the form of day camps during the summer. It is extremely important from the perspective of the Lower Town residents who are often culturally and economically excluded. The workshops are a form of escape from everyday routine, a way of spending time creatively during summer holidays. The participants can get to know the techniques and secrets of contemporary art, develop their own creativity and become artists themselves.
In the time of pandemic, LKW Gallery has maintained its mission in cultural activity. A new, pandemic-based exhibition program entitled Windows 2020 has guaranteed the possibility of contact with art to the inhabitants, who could not experience the "living" contact with culture for a long time due to the pandemic. As part of the project, the LKW Gallery window has become an exhibition space for young and talented Gdansk artists who suffered the most during the pandemic. Their background, coming from the position of novice artists, made it impossible to maintain continuity in their artistic work. “Windows 2020” program has given them new opportunities to present, develop and act. Their artistic productions could be viewed from the street, also during the lockdown.
Innovative character
The innovative nature of the Outdoor Gallery of the City of Gdansk project and the LKW Gallery implementation are part of their concept.
LAZNIA CCA has opted for the long-term functioning of the project, as well as the processes leading to the transformation of the district in the longer run. A great advantage has been the use of conventional materials for non-obvious applications - a truck, which is a "typical sight", in an unusual place, jammed under the flyover, surprises the new visitors to the district.
Apart from its visual aspects, it has been possible to create a spot where strong resident participation has been achieved, as the residents take part in the activities organized in their neighbourhood. What has been innovative is the ability to adapt this kind of facility to multiple roles, its multifunctionality which is a field for equalizing opportunities for the young people from the Lower Town (Dolne Miasto), young artists, unconventional creators and others.
The space of the LKW Gallery has been adapted even to the difficult pandemic conditions, presenting the art of young artists who were not covered by any state aid as part of the project (Windows 2020). It is also unique that the art object, symbolically showing the problem of the urban separation of the Lower Town (Dolne Miasto) from the rest of Gdańsk (the spectacular act of a truck getting stuck under the bridge is its symbol), is also a culturally active space which breaks these barriers.
