The new installation will stand in the capital’s newly renovated Five Corners Square.
WXCA
A new installation by internationally renowned artist Joanna Rajkowska is to appear in Warsaw.
Best known for her Palm Tree titled ‘Greetings from Jerusalem Avenue’ in the centre of the capital, the striking new work, this time of an egg, will stand in the newly renovated Five Corners Square.
Rajkowska told TFN: “It is not as cheeky as the ‘Greetings from Jerusalem Avenue’. But it has a chance of becoming a hub of quiet attention, like its sibling in London.
Rajkowska said: “The Song Thrush Hatchling will stand right next to the historical location of an amphitheatre, a huge building designed for 3,000 people, built at the end of the 18th century.WXCA
“It is actually an older sibling, just hatched much later. Designed early in 2018, kept patiently waiting for the construction of the Five Corners Square, which is happening now. This is its nest.”
The artist came up with the idea for The Hatchling while working from her forest studio and hearing what she describes as the beautiful sounds of birds which gave her a sense of dependency.
The birds and humans interact within the same ecosystem and if their numbers dwindle, or the birds become extinct then it will have a significant impact on humans.
According to the artist, the sculpture is supposed to be interacted with. She said people ‘should touch it, and stay as close as they feel like, to the vibrating shell of the egg. I would love them to take the notion of fragility with them.”Joanna Rajkowska
Rajkowska said: “The Song Thrush Hatchling will stand right next to the historical location of an amphitheatre, a huge building designed for 3,000 people, built at the end of the 18th century.
“It was an arena where people gathered to watch animal fights, or rather animals slaughtered, including bears torn apart by hunting dogs. Cruelty beyond words.
“Apparently even the last Polish king, Stanisław August Poniatowski found it distasteful.
Her previous Hatchling installation which appeared in London became a big hit with passersby.Joanna Rajkowska
“So The Hatchling will introduce a radically different sensitivity, a new beginning after many chapters of human dominance and malice.”
Until recently the area was defined by a busy road with multiple lanes of traffic interrupting tourists jaunts. Historically it was a busy traffic location with horse-drawn carts and trolleybuses running through the area.
Now, residents and visitors will be able to amble through the square, taking in the architectural wonders and modern design without fear of getting run over.
Rajkowska says she hope her Warsaw egg will be as popular as the London one, saying that the immersive experience literally touches those who interact with it on a deeper level than most works of art, the additional sensory phenomena stimulating other parts of the brain to create a stronger emotional response than you might get from looking at a statue.WXCA
The area will have its own fountain, 22 maple trees will be planted there, 14 new bike stands will be created and seating for 38 people will provide visitors with a place to sit down and take it all in.
Rajkowska explained that the egg is not only to be admired but interacted with: “It would be important for people to remember that both of The Hatchlings are acoustic sculptures.
“They vibrate thanks to sound exciter transducers and emit a wide spectrum of sounds from a real-life hatching chick recorded with a contact microphone: the heartbeat, chirps and the pecking of the shell by the chick.”
She added that the immersive experience literally touches those who interact with it on a deeper level than most works of art, the additional sensory phenomena stimulating other parts of the brain to create a stronger emotional response than you might get from looking at a statue.
Jacek Turczyk/PAP
The artist is best known for her Palm Tree in Warsaw titled ‘Greetings from Jerusalem Avenue’.CC BY-SA 3.0
The artist hopes the audience in Warsaw will embrace the Hatchling in much the same way people in London have done.
She said: “Peoples’ reactions are overwhelming. In my wildest dreams I didn’t expect the London audience to embrace The Hatchling or lean on my sculpture.
“They should touch it, and stay as close as they feel like, to the vibrating shell of the egg. I would love them to take the notion of fragility with them.
“Some kind of careful and thoughtful attention for non-human life. A humble withdrawal from the patriarchal pedestal we built for ourselves.”