LIGHTWORDS / INSTALLATION

SYNCHRONICITY 2009

Time: 7.08 – 25.09.2009
Venue: 515th kilometre of the Vistula (left bank between Śląsko-Dąbrowski and Gdański Bridges), opposite the Old Town, Warsaw

Two young designers, Karol Murlak and Magda Czapiewska, transformed the concrete quay of the Vistula into a carrier of thoughts. Thanks to their idea Lightwords lighted up as a quote from Andrzej Sosnowski’s poem on the Vistula boulevard. An excerpt of the poet’s piece was marked on the boulevard’s pavement with graduated over a metre-high letters reacting to light. First almost invisible in daylight, they became apparent only in UV light. As time went by they were slowly brought into light.


Andrzej Sosnowski, b. 1959 in Warsaw. Poet, translator, editor at “Literatura na świecie” magazine. He graduated in English literature at the University of Warsaw. Considered “the outermost poetic post” he is probably the most diligently read and “controversy”-stirring contemporary Polish poet. Associated with the “linguistic” scene and the postmodern doubt about all possible narrations. It has become a proverbial cliché that critics writing about Sosnowski and failing to capture his poetry make excuses about the difficulty of his read. He has received nearly all poetry awards, from the Iłłakowiczówna Debut Award to the Kościelski Award. Nominated for the Nike Literary Award in 1997. He published the following poetic works: Life in Korea (1992), A Season on the Hel Peninsula (1994), Lodgings (1997), Opera. Convoy (1998), Zoom (2000), Taxi (2003), Where the End of the Rainbow Does Not Touch the Ground (2005), After the Rainbow (2007); also author of the extraordinary prose Nouvelles Impressions d’Amerique (1994). Together with Tadeusz Pióro and photographer Marek Atkins the co-originator of album Warsaw. A collection of his essays titled Riskiest was published recently. Most of his poems have been collected in the volume Harvest, 1987-2003. Translator of works written by Ezra Pound, John Ashberry, Elizabeth Bishop, Jane Bowles, Ronald Firbank, James Schuyler and Raymond Roussel. A lover of sophisticated pop, especially David Bowie and Scott Walker. He lives in Warsaw.


UV torch rental open on clear nights at the following times:
28-30.08, 9-12pm
04-06.09, 8-11pm
11-13.09, 8-11pm
18-20.09, 8-11pm


The project, part of the Transformations Art Festival by the Vistula, is being carried out thanks to the Capital City of Warsaw grant. // www.warszawa2016.pl