Architecture - durable, useful, beautiful and… incredibly harmful. The construction industry and life-cycle costs generated by buildings are responsible for over ⅓ of world CO2 emissions - one of the main causes of climate change. Cities and buildings nowadays operate in a way that disturbs nature’s cycles, pollutes and devour vast areas of land. On the other hand, humans are unable to function outside of the built environment. Architecture provides proper and safe living conditions, creates spaces of everyday existence for numerous people all over the world.
Processing areas for metallurgical waste in Nowa Huta, Krakow, 2022. photo by Krzysztof Kalisz
The Antropocene exhibition draws the context of contemporary challenges to environmental catastrophe and enables us to understand them. We see architecture not only as a result of global and local changes in the relationship between humans and nature, but also as a tool that shapes this relationship. We present contemporary and historical projects, developments and technologies that affect the living environment of all species and entities. We look into the future of architecture and its role in each category of the ecological ceiling through installations by invited designers. They searched for ways to design and operate architecture in such a way that would not only not harm the planet, but also have regenerative potential for the environment. These examples prove that a different architecture is possible.
Park on revitalized brownfield site, Internationale Bauausstellung Emscher Park, photo: KatjenAdobe Stock
The exhibition, prepared by the National Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning, had its premiere in autumn 2022 at ZODIAK Warsaw’s Architecture Pavilion. The Wroclaw’s edition of the exhibition will be presented in the historic space of a former church, the arrangement of the exhibition is designed by Malgorzata Kuciewicz and Simone de Iacobis from Warsaw’s architectural office Centrala.
The Anthropocene is an era of humans, an era of anthropogenic changes that result in global climate catastrophe. The name of this exhibition signifies ambivalence - it is both narcissistic (what we present is testament to the human power) and critical towards the current state of the world. We do not, however, intend to instill hopelessness in our visitors. We can still stop (or rather limit) the destruction of our collective home.
A view of the city of Kiruna, Sweden, photo Alexander AdobeStock
The exhibition is accompanied by a book The Anthropocene. Toward a regenerative architecture
Organiser: National Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning
Co-organiser: Museum of Architecture in Wrocław
Research curator: dr hab. inż. arch. Bolesław Stelmach, prof. PŁ
Curators: Kacper Kępiński, Adrian Krężlik
Participants: Pracownia Architektury Krajobrazu (Marta Tomasiak, Marta Przygoda), Centrala (Małgorzata Kuciewicz, Simone De Iacobis), Miastopracownia (Barbara Nawrocka, Dominika Wilczyńska), Kasper Jakubowski, Jan Szeliga i Krzysztof Janas, NAS-DRA (Paulina Grabowska, Oliwia Rybczyńska), Jan Domicz, Simone Ruess, BIEL studio (Zofia Strumiłło-Sukiennik, Grzegorz Piotrowicz)
Sound installations: Dobrawa Czocher, Baasch
Arrangement of the exhibition: Centrala (Małgorzata Kuciewicz, Simone De Iacobis)
Visual identity: Katarzyna Nestorowicz
Graphic design of the exhibition: Jerzy Gruchot (Full Metal Jacket)
Producer: Weronika Sołtysiak
Licenses: Mateusz Włodarek
Accompanying program: Marta Baranowska, Katarzyna Domagalska, Agnieszka Gola, Patrycja Mazurek, Michał Chadera
Communication: Joanna Krupa, Dominik Witaszczyk, Marta Czyż-Kaczor, Kalina Soska
Editor: Urszula Drabińska
Translations: Natalia Raczkowska, Dorota Wąsik
Post-production of images: Studio Avantura (Roland Nowak)
Exhibition implementation: Muh Crew (Jakub Henke, Łukasz Kowalski, Marcelina Dereń, Łukasz Rosiek, Paweł Łasiński, Radosław Jagucki, Kacper Kobus, Piotr Cwaliński, Michał Szulżyk, Krzysztof Mędrek, Kuba Puchatkiewicz)
Mockups: Onimo – makiety architektoniczne
Cooperation: Muzeum Sztuki Nowoczesnej w Warszawie, Warbud SA, Dominika Dragan-Alcantara, Dorota Leśniak-Rychlak (współpraca redakcyjna / editorial collaboration), Aga Sukienniczak (współpraca kuratorska / curatorial collaboration)
Thanks to: 55architekci, Adrian Bodhi, Afl architects, Agence Ter Paysagistes Urbanistes, Alisma Construction, Ana Tostões, Analog Studio, Ave Bureau, Bal Architektek, Bart Staszewski, Baumschlager Eberle Architekten, Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie, Cave Bureau, Co-haty, David Brichs, De Urbanisten, Domino – grupa architektoniczna, Einszueins Architektur, Emmanuelle Bentz, Empreinte, Fallingwater Projects Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Fundacja Instytut Architektury, Fundacja Mies van der Rohe, Grün Stadt Zürich, Hassell+, Hans Porochelt, Instytut Dokumentacji Architektury, Biblioteka Śląska, Instytut Biochemii i Biofizyki PAN, Jeju Studio Iwo Borkowicz, Kamil Bańkowski – Irart, Ken Schluchtmann, Kéré Architecture, Kothari Associates, Kuryłowicz & Associates, Lacaton & Vassal, Lindman Photography, Maciej Siuda Pracownia, Major Architekci, Miasto Kraków, Milena Szutkowska-Maj, Modraszek Kolektyw, Muzeum Architektury we Wrocławiu, Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich POLIN, Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie, Muzeum Śląskie w Katowicach, Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe, Nathanael Scheffler, Paweł Ulatowski, Philippe Rahm Architectes, Raumlaborberlin, Riegler Riewe Architekten, Sonovision, Studio A4, Surroundings Studio, Telewizja Polska, White Arkitekter, Workplace, X-Architects, XYstudio, Zofia Strumiłło-Sukiennik i Grzegorz Piotrowicz, Zukunftsgeraeusche
Cooperation: Adobe Stock, Agencja Wyborcza.pl, Alamy, Archiwum Architektury Hassana Fathy’ego, Amerykański Uniwersytet w Kairze, Archiwum Fundacji Ośrodka KARTA, East News, Forum Polska, Fundacja Polskiej Sztuki Nowoczesnej, Agencja Fotografów, Galeria Le Guern, Grupa ZPR Media, Jakub Rodziewicz, Jan Domicz, Jan Goots, Karol Żurawski, Krzysztof Kalisz/OperatorKamery, Marcin Czechowicz, Michał Młynarczyk, Muzeum Akademii Sztuk Pięknych w Warszawie, Paweł Skowera, Polska Agencja Prasowa, Robert Fishman, Simone Ruess, Smith Archiwum, Tomasz Czernicki, Tomasz Kiełkowski Archifoto.
We would like to inform you that we have made every effort to find all the holders of copyrights to the works presented at the exhibition.
We would like to thank all persons and institutions that contributed to the exhibition.
The exhibition is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Media Partners: Architektura-murator, Architektura&Biznes, PRESTO artbook, Notes Na 6 Tygodni, SZUM Magazine