OSSA 2018

OSSA 2018

OSSA – the biggest architectural workshops in Poland – invited us to tutor and give lecture at 2018 edition of the workshops which took place in Łódź, Poland. We spent one week working with some of the most talented and inspiring students and architects from Poland and abroad including BIG, fala atelier, JEMS Architekci, Tom Emerson, A2P2, Centrala, Buero Kofink Schels, False Mirror, Maciej Siuda, Jan Domicz.

The Vision

The theme of 2018 OSSA edition was Vision. The subject of vision has never been so important. The dominance of visual culture and even “picture culture” is currently the leading topic of discussion. Its phenomenon consists in changing the perception of the world, currently based largely on visual aspects. This tendency is also noticeable in architecture and its related directions. As we are aware of the importance of changes in the perception of works of art, projects, films and all other works related to the creative sector. Moving on this topic in the architectural environment, we hope for a critical assessment of the current situation and the formulation of conclusions and strategies for the future.

The notion of Vision primarily refers to the activity associated with visual perception. It concerns both the physical process taking place in the human body and the process of understanding the observed object. Through lectures and discussions, we will pay attention to the consideration of perception as cognizance and realisation. Emphasizing these issues, they want to develop the subject of vision in the context of the city scale (urban planning), space (architecture) and human (mental space). The theory adopted by the organizers is relative and strongly related to the mental space, created on the patterns provided by the recipient. It is a convention of perception based on a schema built on the basis of place of residence, education, language, environment and subconsciousness.

That is why the topic of Vision seems particularly suitable in Łódź. It was in this city that one of the most critical and most important scientific works relating to this subject was created: “The Theory of Vision” by Władysław Strzemiński, an outstanding avant-garde artist, artist, painter, and pedagogue. The author defined Theory of Vision as the science of conscious functioning in the world. It shows its changes under the influence of various cultural and civilizational factors.

Władysław Strzemiński wanted to spread the concept of visual awareness, aiming at raising the general level of artistic consciousness of the society, including artists. He believed that this could be achieved by examining the mechanisms of human perception and how experience and surroundings influence them. Seeing is the process of conscious watching the world. Vision awareness is the ability to use the visual phenomena seen by the human being and realized by him.

Therefore, it becomes an intriguing concept also in the field of architecture, in which the impact of “visual awareness” and also the psychology of perception, mental space, patterns of visual perception are objects of architects’ analyses. Each participant coming to Łódź will identify the city with a different vision or image. How Łódź is perceived has changed over the years. By learning about the history and heritage of the place, the participant will expand his knowledge, change his point of view and enrich his visual perception. Therefore, how it receives the city now, it can be enriched with knowledge and experience that will be gained during the workshops, and which will affect the subjective feeling of the city and, consequently, its evaluation, projects and solutions created by it. Hence, before the participants get to work, they will get acquainted with the heritage and visit places whose learning is necessary in the process of understanding the shape and atmosphere of the city.

The Twentieth River

THE FAIRYTALE

we went to a place
where the river should be.
but to our surprise
there was nothing to see

what one does in here
where the river should be?
the question was made
hey łódź help us see!

in the late evening hours,
are there monsters around?
no warewolfs, no wales
only pirates we’ve found.

there was even a boat
where the river should be.
is the mind playing tricks
or the water is here?

do I see the riverbed?
or apples and leaves?
Is it crack in the road
or the river here leaks?

it goes underground
plays hide and seek
does it want to be found?
łódź show us your creek!

we’re off to great places!
finally it’s there
we found our river
today is our day!

we are swimming within
with a glance at the map
łódź got us in (a) trap

where the river should be
it’s not where we are
wherever we go
we hear water sounds

this river is new
it ruins our count!
the river is us
as river we act.

we go with the flow
take things on our way
leave other behind the river we play!

we started with this
*the source is unknown
a beer mug for cigarettes
a pen for a bun
a bun for an angel
cigarettes for a pen
an angel for a lollipop
a lollipop for a pen (again)
a pen for a potato
a potato for tangerines
tangerines for a shoe polish

we go with the flow take things on our way
leave other behind the river we play!
trash and treasures are flowing downstream
once lost in the water forever unseen

we discovered a new kind
with a colorful glow
blue pink and green
where from does it flow?

streets told us this,
believe it or not
when textiles were made,
dye leaked into flows.

imagine a current
of colour and sound
different in hue
om sunrise till dawn

we are bringing it back
just follow our lead
the fairytale ends
next door, come and see!

The Voices