2021
1(65)
DOI: 10.37190/arc210110
Agnieszka Kurkowska*
Architecture in the field of art
on the example of author’s realizations
* ORCID: 0000-0002-1380-4628. Faculty of Architecture, Gdańsk
University of Technology, e-mail: agnieszka.kurkowska@pg.edu.pl
Introduction
An architect participates in creation of houses, that is
objects of habitation. By contributing to this inclusive
process, she/he may undertake activities in the scope of
architectural design, as well as artistic initiatives that re-
fer to the eld of art. The issue of habitation and deter-
mining proper facilities for this purpose may provide the
subject for a message addressed to current or prospective
inhabitants in the form of graphics, painting, sculpture,
artistic intentional projects. The concepts contained in
habitation objects result from reections on space and
improvement in its use conditions, as well as the enhance-
ment of aesthetic values, so that buildings can exert an
impact on a sense of good living (understood here as mul-
tidimensional rooting in a specic place and in a widely
understood everyday life space, taking its realization in
a physical and metaphysical context). This form of con-
sideration prompted me to make an attempt at nding the
answer to the question whether it is possible to situate ar-
chitecture in the space of art. Projects implemented while
searching for answers to the above question result from
research and observation, but also mark the creative pro-
cess of expressing certain content through artistic activi-
ties. The research thesis formulated in the present article
is to postulate that architecture, using artistic material as
a means of expression, inuences the process of living
by showing the recipient, i.e., the resident, values that
are important from the point of view of creating a house
to ensure good quality of life, with understanding vari-
ous aspects of living and house structure. In the article,
situations are described in which architecture oers an
element of research activities, not only being the result of
authors’ intentional designs as part of creative processes,
but also resulting from research work. The eects yielded
by such projects (recipient’s interest, presentation com-
prehensibility) are presented in the article to conrm the
above thesis.
Methods and state of research
The elements of the presented intentional projects were
created in 2015–2020 in Gdańsk Pomerania, specically
in Kashubia, and were implemented/made public in Gdańsk.
All of them relate to the issue of habitation, but use vari-
ous means of expression and accompany diverse public
events. They feature a similar artistic form of conveying
the content related to architectural issues. This topic is
presented in the research by Gabriela Świtek [1], [2] as
well as the publication that followed the scientic confer-
ence on a multifaceted discussion concerning the issue of
how the sculpture meets various physical and cognitive
matters and contexts [3]. Many other authors also have
dealt with issues related to the topic. So far, the problem
of communication between the creator and the recipient
has been analyzed by such researchers as Umberto Eco
[4], Martin Heidegger [5], Krzysztof Lenartowicz [6] and
Yi-Fu Tuan [7]. Roman Ingarden [8] and Jeremi Kró-
likowski [9] studied and described specic relations be-
tween art and architecture, as did Gabriela Świtek [10],
while Jolanta Brach-Czaina [11] referred to the ethos of
new art. Juliusz Żórawski [12] and – more recently – Ale-
ksander Asanowicz [13] analyzed the construction of an
architectural form, Augustyn Bańka [14], in turn, studied
the sociological and psychological aspects of creative ac-
tivities within architecture. The latter research shed new
light on my perception of these processes, by revealing an
unobvious impact layer and specifying its scope.
86 Agnieszka Kurkowska
The intentional projects presented here contain original
objects (graphics, paintings, sculptures, spatial installa-
tions and objects transferred directly from the real world),
as such forms are based on experimenting with space, as
well as they accept the challenge of creating a message
within the space of ideas by going beyond physicality dur-
ing the happening. Quoting Brach-Czaina [11, p. 199], it
should be reminded that contemporary art seeks material
in everything that surrounds humans, both surroundings
and all the objects that ll the space provide subject mat-
ter. I would also include ideas in this denition.
In the light of my assumption, an ideological concept,
idea or a specic message can mediate through activities
bordering on architecture and art. A certain arbitrariness
and symbolism refer architecture to the eld of art. Also an
intimate scale of operation, inconsistent with the actual di-
mensions of buildings is related to art. By their nature, ar-
tistic activities are characterized by synthesis, often apply
elusiveness and vagueness. The objects presented below
were constructed in a similar way. It must be remembered
that – as Królikowski rightly noted – […] architecture is
art when it is a work of art, not a product [Author’s own
transl.] [9, p. 79]. Hence, an individual creative element is
vital, as well as the uniqueness that relates to objects on the
border of these two domains, when one advantages from
the other, while both are strengthened by their coexistence.
In the activities described below (three projects select-
ed as representations of various artistic and design activ-
ities carried out in 2015–2020), I applied a combination
of research and creative methods. My paper borders on
science and art. Creative work was a major contribution
to the article, as art was either a tool in the process of ar-
chitectural design at its initial stage, or constituted a com-
ment or an introduction to particular design stages. The
designs reveal the eect. While creating them, the meth-
ods of analysis and synthesis was applied, as was com-
parative research. The projects made it possible to obtain
unique research material, also in the eld of sociological
research, which was based on documentation of events
and collecting feedback from participants. I am still in the
process of collecting and developing this data, due to the
need to obtain a broader perspective in time. The projects
themselves implement, to a varying degree, several tasks
assigned to them, such as provoking reection (especial-
ly the rst one), strengthening knowledge (especially the
second one), enabling the observation of direct events and
analyzing their wider context (the third one). Art, in space
of which I chose to placed the aforementioned projects
equally strongly related to architecture, provides a tool
in the design process. It is an autonomous stage of this
process. Art provides a story about ideas, relationships,
places and historical events. It shows an alternative point
of view. Here, specically, the point of view is one of an
architect who cares for the quality and values of the sur-
rounding space. Moreover, art oers a tool for evoking
reection and sensations experienced directly during the
events to which the projects were assigned. These experi-
ences were subject to observation, analysis, could provide
an inspiration and a source of motivation to act. This un-
derstanding was at the heart of my assumptions.
The role of architecture within art space
Architecture not only concerns shaping usable spatial
objects to meet various human needs, the most important of
which seems to be the provision of proper shelter. It should
rather be understood as a discipline that deals with educa-
tion in the eld of spatial shaping, including development
of positive attitudes towards cultural spatial activities.
Such education leads to an understanding of complexity
and importance of the process of creating architectural
objects and urban layouts, their personal and social impli-
cations for users. From the point of view of the above-de-
ned thesis, house and its location in the region present
issues of greatest importance to me. It is the task of the
house to not only to provide with basic existential needs,
but also to create the right mood, ensure a sense of be-
longing and identication with the object and its location.
Apart from practicing as a designer, an architect is also
able to actively participate in conveying positive content,
as well as securing the proper course of culture-making
and pro-social processes. It should be emphasized that
properly formed architecture is one
[…] that, through its
elements, develops cognitive processes, moderates emo-
tional processes and triggers behavioral processes charac-
teristic, for example, of the loyalty syndrome: towards one-
self, others and the place of residence, work, rest, study or
prayer (agoral behavior) [Author’s own transl.] [14, p. 48].
Architecture understood in this way contributes to en-
hancing positive processes in the human mind. Therefore,
with their actions, architects can support renewal process-
es with regard to neglected spaces, they can strengthen
motivation towards introducing changes, as well as con-
tribute to a better understanding of both the architectural
structure of specic objects and their historical context.
Consequently, an architect participates in enriching the
knowledge of recipients.
It seems, therefore, that architects should avoid design-
ing buildings only to meet utility requirements that corre-
spond to the established functional program. Nor should
buildings serve only to t into the current aesthetic trends,
as this would obscure the mission of conveying content
in the form of a specic key concept, i.e. delivering the
desired values (more in: [15]).
Co-creation of a sense of freedom and identity oers
an important message for architecture (understood in the
present paper as culturally created physical matter that
participates in the process of living). In co-creating the
structure of the living environment, architecture should
respond to specic assumptions so as to take into account
the needs of prospective residents in the case of important
issues related to the structure and equipment of a house.
Since residents’ involvement is a fairly common practice
nowadays, their great autonomy and resourcefulness in
this matter should be regarded with optimism. Grażyna
Woroniecka stated that: The material and cultural mod-
ules from which we build our living experience are char-
acterized by increasing diversity. The stronger the pres-
sure for behavior uniformity on city dwellers in the public
space, the greater the venting to their individuality in their
own apartments [Author’s own transl.] [16, p. 27].
Architecture in the field of art on the example of author’s realizations 87
Woroniecka noticed another important aspect, i.e., an
objective need to individualize one’s own home, individ-
ualization that determines its distinctiveness, contractual
separateness, or recognition. Hence, the residents can de-
rive a sense of self-determination, which is also based on
separating themselves as an individual from a group con-
nected by the implementation of common goals. Co-cre-
ation of a group leads to a formal unication of the space
inhabited by this group, while maintaining the aforemen-
tioned separateness. The inner need for individualization
applies particularly to living space [17]), because it is at
home where our distinguishability may co-create the feel-
ing of “being at home”.
It should be remembered that […] the collective pro-
cess of creating the “I ” identity consists, among other as-
pects, in presenting oneself to others, forcing conformism
and resolving conicts related to the existence of various
perceptions of order in the minds of the family community
members [Author’s own transl.] [18, pp. 47, 48]. If the
issue of identity is understood in this manner, the afore-
mentioned sense of freedom should be seen as benecial
(as it refers to moving within the space of intellectual free-
dom that allows a choice of behavior). The creation of
a space of ideas, as an extra-physical area whose task is to
enable the visualization of one’s own ideas, which in turn
strengthens the feeling of independence, should also be
perceived as conducive to the creation of identity. Howev-
er, the basis of architectural activities should be sought in
understanding the purpose of action and existence, as well
as the logic behind this process which is carried out by
humans in their living space (cf. [14, p. 48]). Such a gen-
esis of actions would foster creativity towards freedom of
actions and thinking
1
.
From the point of view of the issue analyzed in the
present paper, the moment when architecture entered gal-
leries and museum spaces in the 1970s is of great impor-
tance. As pointed out by Świtek, it is the ocial entry of
architecture into the world of art previously reserved for
strictly abstract activities that should be considered con-
ducive to expanding its eld of inuence [10, pp. 222,
223]. Thus, architecture changes its dimensions. Attention
is drawn to concepts, content, and the moods created. The
revealed relationships assume a new dimension. Multidi-
mensional reection and various levels of experience are
allowed. Hence, such an approach to architecture oers
a new experience that allows for a deeper understanding,
but also for expressing the essence of the role of architec-
ture. Exhibition spaces, being special places for present-
ing cultural objects, somewhat give credence to architec-
ture as a medium of conveying content, including ideas, as
a subject of inspiration
2
. Therefore, spatial objects, though
previously regarded as the ones that strictly belong to the
eld of architecture, namely an inextricable conglomerate
of engineering and the architect’s creative element, can
now be considered (according to their metaphysical layer)
1
Similar observations in the work [19].
2
The modern, almost unquestionable belief that architecture is art
results from such aspects as the presence of architecture at art exhibi-
tions [17, pp. 222, 223].
as equal to other artistic objects assigned to the area of art,
with common consent for their presentation in exhibition
spaces today
3
(quoted after: [10, p. 424]).
Ideological architectural sculpture
The work of an architect is located in between func-
tional design and art. Architect’s actions are simultane-
ously distinguished by aspects of both usefulness and ide-
ology. In their actions, architects who strive after creating
architectural objects, introduce changes in space, shape
the landscape or urban layouts. They can support them-
selves not only with a sketch and a picture or text, but also
a special medium – an ideological architectural sculpture.
By this I understand a special type of model, which is both
a sculpture and a model layout that has the appearance of
an architectural object. It is a kind of artistic matter that
allows for the transmission of ideas, moods and non-ver-
bal content that must be supported by a conceptual object.
This particular form of expression can be referred to as
an ideological architectural sculpture. It emerges as a re-
sult of a sculptural creation, but also constitutes an im-
portant element of the architectural design process (more
in: [20]). In order to understand what specic place ar-
chitecture can occupy within the scope of this process, it
would be useful to distinguish the boundaries that sepa-
rate subsequent stages of such a design (cf. [6, p. 65]). The
aforementioned process is commenced at a time of initial
reection, followed by geometrization of the notes (more
in: [21, p. 236]). Another distinction concerns the stage
of linear record and the subsequent spatial formation (al-
though the transition may be smooth). Then, the modeling
activity can be distinguished, which also provides the nal
stage of spatial formation. It is then that an independent
sculptural object can be created (which constitutes an au-
tonomous completion of the work or a starting point for
creating the nal architectural object). Another distinction
marks the stage of transition from the concept phase to the
design of an architectural object. The nal stage compris-
es implementation of the object (cf. [20]).
Thanks to its scale, a model of small cubature that an
ideological architectural sculpture usually consists of may
enable a synthetic perception
4
of architecture. When re-
ception of a physically implemented architectural object
means covering a certain path, undergoing a specic
route, within a certain time, which aects the dynamics
of architecture perception, in the case of a sculpture, what
occurs is a reduction of this path (thus shortening the per-
ception time). This probably impoverishes the aspect of
a multi-sensational comprehensive reception
5
. However,
it can be expected that precisely due to the simplication
of the form and the specic condensation of reception
3
Compare: the international exhibition “Design and Art”, Depart-
ment of Modern Art of the National Museum in Gdańsk (May–August
2015).
4
In terms of the time spent and the distance traveled, due to the
size of the object and the fact that it is isolated from the context.
5
A real architectural object speaks with its form, detail, sound,
light, smell and vibration.
88 Agnieszka Kurkowska
Fig. 1. Intentional project entitled “Unrealization”,
Outdoor Festival “Pictures Painted with Fire”,
Gdański Archipelag Kultury
[Gdańsk Archipelago of Culture], Gdańsk-Zaspa, October 2015
(author: A. Kurkowska, photo by A. Kurkowska)
Il. 1. Projekt intencjonalny pt. „Unierzeczywistnienie”,
Festiwal Plenerowy „Obrazy Ogniem Malowane”,
Gdański Archipelag Kultury, Gdańsk-Zaspa, październik 2015
(autor: A. Kurkowska, fot. A. Kurkowska)
process, the recipient’s attention focuses on the essence of
the issue, i.e. on the content of the message.
Perhaps the simplication related to the aforemen-
tioned ideological architectural sculpture may contribute
to the enhancement of its legibility. The experience is not
accompanied by distraction, which seems inevitable in the
situation of large objects’ reception (much longer in time).
Additionally, the latter case, due to its conditions, cannot
be experienced in isolated situations. Aleksander Asa-
nowicz noticed that […] during a single act of perception,
a person perceives very little. Space is perceived most
intensively when its elements are only “sketched” and
not fully completed [Author’s own transl.] [13, p. 16]. An
ideological architectural sculpture is exactly such a phys-
icalized sketch, a realized concept. As such, it has a struc-
ture, shape, it is traced, refers to patterns, relations and
symbols. It coexists with its cultural context. While ana-
lyzing the aspect of the psychophysiology of sight, Iwona
Mikołajczyk noted that […] the viewer rarely perceives
the entire perceptual eld due to the fact that the most in-
tense stimuli, corresponding to needs and emotional states
(aordance) are the rst to reach the observer. Often its
reception is directed by habits, which introduce mechani-
cal reactions into the perception process, resulting in xa-
tions or hypercoding [Author’s own transl.] [22, pp. 9, 10].
A small-scale model could therefore lead to sensations
and experiences in a manner comparable to those obtained
for a full-sized object. This results from the inclusion of
the recipient’s experiences in the perception process. The
perception is still dierent, no departure occurs, no ac-
companying elements, experienced relationships are inad-
equate to the real ones
6
.
However, in the process of perception, the human mind
overcomes these inconveniences and enables the recipient
to correctly read the content.
I use ideological architectural sculptures in the three
intentional projects described below. The common feature
of the projects lies also in the transfer of architectural con-
cepts in the space of art. Namely, by using artistic objects
and taking advantage of public exhibition events. In all
projects, art provides a form of communication in general
architectural education, which leads to the enrichment of
experiences and broadening knowledge, as well as sensi-
tization to the topics discussed.
The author’s own intentional projects
“Unierzeczywistnienie” Spatial structure
An ideological idea, concept, and a specic message can
mediate through actions that border on architecture and art.
Certain conventionality and symbolism refer concepts to
architecture and art alike, as does scale of action, incon-
sistent with the actual dimensions of the buildings. Art is
6
Contrary to appearances, a three-dimensional model is not a bet-
ter way of recreating reality than a drawing in order to obtain perceptual
impressions as close as possible to those perceived in real space. This
is because we usually deal with models on a reduced scale, which are
viewed from a tainted perspective [Author’s own transl.] [18, p. 77].
a synthesis that often applies elusiveness and vagueness.
Motivated by a specic intention to act, an architect enters
this space with the intention to convey a message appeal-
ing to the senses, to enrich experiences and knowledge.
The spatial structure entitled “Unierzeczywistnienie”
[Unrealization] (Fig. 1) may be seen as an example of an
intentional action. The structure actually emerged as part
of the open-air art festival “Obrazy Ogniem Malowane”
[Pictures Painted with Fire] organized by Gdański Archi-
pelag Kultury “Plama” [Gdańsk Archipelago of Culture
“Plama”] in October of 2015. The subject of the project
are ideological architectural sculptures placed in the pub-
lic space of a housing estate of multi-family buildings, lo-
cated in the Gdańsk district of Zaspa; colloquially known
as blokowisko [block of ats estate], which presents the
connotations caused by living in this space. Prefabric ated,
ten-storey, objects with multiple staircases, built in the
1970s, constitute the formal context of the event. Mainly
local residents are the recipients of the project.
The architectural spatial structure is based on the uni -
queness of a spatial situation. The attitude of intentional-
ity adopted by me to accompany the participants of the
event, assumed the activity of the recipient’s mind in re-
Architecture in the field of art on the example of author’s realizations 89
It was based on the concept to create a meeting space
and, indirectly, non-literally, a living space. This space
was created by evoking memories and imagination of
its former appearance and by the temporary residence of
“visiting strangers” in this space. As understood by Marc
Augé, “non-places” may mean [23, p. 54], transit spaces
or places intended for temporary stay, which is often iden-
tical. According to the understanding of the authors of this
installation, “non-places” exist with no superior goals,
they are dened by indeterminacy. This, paradoxically,
provides a guarantee of freedom to their users. Therefore,
no specic rules or guidelines prevail. Elusive ties and
bonds that are hard to dene are formed with the environ-
ment. By design, non-places avoid unambiguity, tend to
be seemingly unattractive, as they resemble phenomena
apparently similar in any urban space. Hence, by analogy,
the authors’ concept of “non-room”.
The authors’ intention was to invite recipients to a unique
journey in time and space. “Not-room” and yet a room;
addi
tional, temporary, but extremely personal. Existing
alongside someone else’s identity: identiable, and yet not
identical. Ideally, the concept is based on the transposition
of an unreal vision into the real world; a vision is enriched
with realities of the past of smuggling in this place: smug-
gling words, values. Asking questions about the mean-
ing of non-physical interpersonal relationships and the
awareness of other people’s existence motivate us, oer
us support, hope, and ll us with the fear of ignorance,
which when overcome, usually results in a wealth of new
experiences. Exposing the recipient to painterly-sketched
references to reality and thoughts, experiences and guess-
es, fears and longings puts him/her in a situation of a need
for a new experience, the necessity of an act of additional
reection (cf. [19]).
For the duration of the “Narratives” festival, in an “out-
house” facility (currently a drying room) in an existing
“non-place”, according to the author’s concept, a space
for temporary residence was to be created: “non-room for
visiting strangers” (Fig. 3). Everyday fabrics would be re-
placed by banners with images of “strangers”. According
to Kazimierz Jałowczyk, the author of the images, the
nature of these visualizations would be strictly uninten-
tional, objective – open, which means allowing various
interpretations, thus placing their meaning in the category
of an open problem.
trict of Nowy Port, under the name “Smugglers”. Co-author: dr inż. arch.
Małgorzata Kaus, author of images and ideas of “strangers” called up for
temporary residence: dr hab. Kazimierz Jałowczyk.
lation to the subject, in accordance with its understanding
in line with the trend of phenomenological philosophy. In
principle, intentionality was to precede and at the same
time dominate the implemented form, both in relation to
individual objects and the overall space layout. The initial
concept was to “ask” questions, and then “listen” to the an-
swers, revealed through the attitude of the recipients who
deliberately or accidentally participated in this situation.
While the gesture of creation realizes the content (Fig. 1),
externalizes it within the model, and then in the archi-
tectural object, the gesture of destruction, here: burning,
takes the form of a realized concept, dematerializing it
and releasing the concept (Fig. 2).
The unrealization of an object refers to its physical
form. One of the educational aspects of the described sit-
uation lies in the disclosure of architecture in its non-ob-
vious version of the “ideological architectural sculpture”.
It appears, as mentioned before, on the border between
the space of art and architecture, as well as the activities
dedicated to and accompanying the two disciplines. In ad-
dition, the planned destruction should result in the aware-
ness of the diculty to implement all ideas in mind in the
material of the architectural objects being created.
Many fragments of the content of the author’s message
remain trapped in “shelved” concepts, where they tend to
remain forever. It is advisable to release these thoughts and
let them return to the non-material space of ideas, from
where they may try to attach to realistic objects again.
According to the project assumptions, the educational
aspect was to be completed through reections, experi-
ences, experiences and the possibility of participation.
Experiences were to be shared in this particular context of
the undervalued space of a block of ats estate. Therefore,
the intention was also to reveal my personal reection on
the subject of experiencing identication with a particular
place of residence, namely a housing estate in the Gdańsk
district of Zaspa. Additionally, in the described situation,
the educational space overlapped the meeting space, thus
becoming a “reception situation” for both parties involved
in the experience (cf. [19]).
“Nie-pokój wizytujących nieznajomych”
The second project I will present here is an intentional
project of my co-authorship entitled “Nie-pokój wizytują-
cych nieznajomych” [Non-room for visiting strangers]
7
.
7
The project was submitted to the competition accompanying the
sixth edition of the International Festival “Narratives” in the Gdańsk dis-
intention / point geometrization spatialization model formation destruction / idea
Fig. 2. Ideogram of a disturbed design process in connection with the implementation of the installation “Unrealization” (elaborated by A. Kurkowska)
Il. 2. Ideogram zaburzonego procesu projektowania w związku z realizacją instalacji „Unierzeczywistnienie” (oprac. A. Kurkowska)
90 Agnieszka Kurkowska
rability and continuity of past events (perhaps too easily
consigned to oblivion).
Józef Przybylski, an opposition activist, writer, and
a resident who inhabited a nearby tenement house in his
childhood and adolescence, would be ideologically in-
vited to this space. Formerly, an everyday visitor to this
yard, an opposition smuggler under the communist regime.
Now, for the participants of this spatial situation, he would
be packing in cans (like he did years ago with “subversive”
publications in the factory, abroad) copies of imaginary
vi siting smugglers, smuggled strangers, created with the
use of the artist-painter’s (Kazimierz Jałowczyk’s) talent
and imagination. Przybylski’s sister returned to the area af-
ter many years in order to pass on her feelings and experi-
ences to her grandchildren at her childhood playground.
She currently lives in a tenement house adjacent to the
laundry room chosen for the presentation. The washed
clothes that she is hanging, which sometimes mean and
resemble something, at the same time not meaning or re-
calling anything important, would be temporarily replaced
by symbolic gures. Imaginary, expressively drawn para-
human creations force the recipient to confrontation. In
this way, a transgressive exposure of images of strangers
emerges.
“Kaszubskie zamieszkiwanie. Studium”
In the project entitled “Kaszubskie zamieszkiwanie.
Studium” [Kashubian inhabitation. A Study] art oers
a me dium for testing architectural concepts. It allows to
verify the relationship, potential and feelings related to
the topic: living in Kashubia. Kashubia is a northern re-
gion of Poland (from the coast to the southern borders
of the Kashubian Lake District), marked with special
natural and cultural values (cf. [24, pp. 60, 62]). Such
values cannot be ignored in the process of architectural
design in this location. Studies on regional building de-
velopment and the accompanying geographic and botani-
cal context have evolved into a cyclical activity in artistic
subject matter. Such thoughts have been expressed in the
form of graphics, painting and photographic representa-
tions of the living space through painting and sculpture.
These representations externalize the search for new
means of expression with which to display personal re-
ections on the home and its environmental relations.
Thus, they complement research and design work, as they
consists of a collection of many artifacts created in the
years 2016–2020.
The “Kaszubskie zamieszkiwanie. Studium” series re-
sult from a scholarship project implemented in 2020
8
. The
collection of graphics, paintings, sculptures and photo-
graphs was presented in November of 2020 in the form of
an exhibition at the headquarters of Gdański Archipelag
Kultury
9
.
8
Scholarship of the Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship for
creators of culture for 2020.
9
The exhibition entitled “Kashubian inhabitation. A study”, cura-
tor: Dr. Paulina Kminikowska, PLAMA Gdański Archipelag Kultury,
Gdańsk-Zaspa.
Fig. 3. The existing drying room in Nowy Port
and the concept of an intentional spatial structure project
entitled “Niepokój wizytujących nieznajomych”,
Gdańsk-Nowy Port 2015
(design: A. Kurkowska, M. Kaus, photo and visualization by M. Kaus)
Il. 3. Istniejąca suszarnia w Nowym Porcie
i koncepcja projektu intencjonalnej struktury przestrzennej
pt. „Nie-pokój wizytujących nieznajomych”, Gdańsk-Nowy Port 2015
(autor: A. Kurkowska, M. Kaus, fot. i wizualizacja: M. Kaus)
The slogan “smugglers” can provide a useful semantic
clue here. Smugglers may be seen as not only risk-takers
who deal with contraband. In oppressive times, smug-
gling was also marked with a noble and creative character.
Smugglers who engaged themselves in illegal acquisition
of forbidden literature, cultural goods, and technical means
could be found. It was a job that required exceptional
courage. This fact is worth remembering when lacking
courage to ght for the expression of one’s own identity,
to make the place of living more accessible and tailored to
individual needs and expectations, so that it can become
a real Home, rather than just a place for human existence
devoid of a feeling of rootedness and identication that
should strengthen such a place.
The project is aimed to recall memories, mark history,
meet people who are temporarily absent, and visualize du-
Architecture in the field of art on the example of author’s realizations 91
The study reveals thoughts, observations and images
of a house embedded in the region – growing out of local
conditions (Fig. 4, 5).
The architectural object keeps growing. It consists of
successive stages of natural development of the living
process in terms of design and implementation, and then
the use of an architectural object. The ideological archi-
tectural sculptures implemented in accordance with their
ideological concept and the graphics preceding the mod-
els, reveal several aspects of the issue.
The pictures point to the basic need and necessity for
all living organisms, especially humans, to provide a safe
hiding place. Metaphorical imagery of the archetypal
form of refuge shows its adaptability to various condi-
tions (Fig. 4). The context poses a problem task, the an-
swer to which lies in a specic form of shelter, adjusted to
its surroundings and corresponding to the existing spatial
situation.
The most obvious archetypes concerning the formation
of living space that function in culture relate to the refuge.
Fig. 4. Selected paintings
and sculptures,
exhibition “Kaszubskie
zamieszkiwanie. Studium”,
PLAMA Gdański Archipelag
Kultury, Gdańsk-Zaspa
(author: A. Kurkowska,
photo by A. Kurkowska)
Il. 4. Wybrane obrazy i rzeźby
na wystawie pt. “Kaszubskie
zamieszkiwanie. Studium”,
PLAMA Gdański Archipelag
Kultury, Gdańsk-Zaspa
(autor: A. Kurkowska,
fot. A. Kurkowska)
Fig. 5. Selected sketches and photos from the placement of sculptures in the Kashubian natural realities,
exhibition entitled “Kaszubskie zamieszkiwanie. Studium” Gdański Archipelag Kultury PLAMA, Gdańsk-Zaspa
(author: A. Kurkowska, photo by A. Kurkowska)
Il. 5. Wybrane szkice i fotografie z lokowania rzeźb w kaszubskich realiach przyrodniczych, wystawa pt. „Kaszubskie zamieszkiwanie. Studium”,
PLAMA Gdański Archipelag Kultury, Gdańsk-Zaspa (autor: A. Kurkowska, fot. A. Kurkowska)
92 Agnieszka Kurkowska
Its form, originally determined by its function, ensured
safety and symbolically informed the inhabitants about
it. By visually blending in man-made objects with their
natural surroundings, a sign of residence is created, which
illustrates the place of belonging and allows to store im-
portant traces and signs in memory as an imaginary rep-
resentation of the place of origin and existence (Fig. 5).
Considering what a house is or should be like leads not
only to engineering issues, but, above all, to philosophical
reections or sociological analyses. By inhabiting a space,
a human being secures the essential need for shelter and
realizes various accompanying needs, such as the needs
that point architectural activities towards extra-physical
spaces. Such issues, in turn, tend to border on art rather
than technology. And so again, architecture nds freedom
of expression in the space of art, in line with my convic-
tion that the path I have chosen is the right one.
Conclusions
As noted by Gabriela Świtek, by reaching for models and
mock-ups, artists use them as records of a specic concept
of space, while architects use this form of representation
as a record of philosophical considerations, both on the
sources and functions of architecture. A model or spatial
structure treated in this way may prove an intuitive re-
cord of an idea, a formally distant prototype of the target
form. The next stages of implementation only force us to
confront the technological and design possibilities of the
target building material (as cited in: [10, p. 426]).
The projects presented above support the phenomenon
of “necessary rooting” named so by Ewa Rewers (with
regard to embedding actions in contexts of meaning) [25,
p. 9]. Without such rooting, possible semantic interpre-
tation of reality becomes marginalized, superseded by
new, both colloquial and research strategies, and thus it
becomes a common element of the contemporary life in-
frastructure. Rooting allows for a broad understanding of
cultural space, extends its meaning to the entire city, but
also points to elements important to culture. It reveals au-
thentic actions and objects, at the same time co-creating
the space of culture in terms of meaning: [rooting] con-
cerns elements which can be/are used, with greater and
greater success, as elements of cultural identities. This
approach assumes a way of thinking in which culture is
recognized not as a closed area, and therefore does not
yield ready-made answers and solutions [Author’s own
transl.] [25, p. 9].
In the light of the above considerations, do the above
examples help to situate architecture in the space of art?
Do they communicate not through words, but through,
as Ewa Borowiecka states, “richly endowed things” [26,
p. 86], which is a specic sign of art? Does intention-
ality, which lies at the basis of these three presented
activities and other ones implemented by me, and not
mentioned in the text
10
, entitle these objects to be in-
10
Another example is the object called “House as a sign of identi-
ty”, A. Kurkowska [in the framework of:] The International Design and
scribed in the area of art space? “Art (which places itself)
[in:] space?”
11
It seems that intentions and implementations simul-
taneously belong to art and architecture, on which they
border. Due to the authorship by an architect who works
on such projects with all the baggage of professional ex-
perience, their architectural aliation seems obvious.
However, once released from the rigors of utility form
and the necessity to meet functional and technological
requirements, architecture is allowed to present the ide-
ological sphere, as legible as in the case of related means
of expression, i.e., purely artistic intentions. The content
is realized in the form of an intentional concept, specied
within an object free from the utility function of an archi-
tectural object, i.e., in an ideological architectural sculp-
ture. Owing to the above, the key concept becomes more
readable, and its message stronger. This is where a special
mission of architecture lies, namely architecture created
in the space of art.
Due to the created projects and the actual implementa-
tion of two of them, I was able to realize the postulates of
my earlier research work on living space (see [19]). The
application nature of the work made it possible to veri-
fy the potential of the tools applied and to obtain partial
feedback on the scope of their readability. An attempt was
made to achieve the goals formulated in the cited work as
conclusions from research analyses. In addition, the third
project itself may be seen as an element of more exten-
sive research into space and architectural forms that t
with it.
The projects presented in the article were accompanied
by questionnaires, but the conducted research did not pro-
vide fully satisfactory results, perhaps due to the outdoor
nature of the event (the rst project) and the dicult pan-
demic situation (the third project). The second project,
being a study project, could not be covered by the survey.
Dierently prepared questionnaires seem to provide use-
ful research material for the future, provided that greater
numbers of recipients of the projects ll them in. I intend
to continue projects of a similar nature and present them
in public spaces, while examining their legibility.
To sum up, one may be tempted to conclude that it is
worth remembering the fact that architecture, while it uses
an artistic object as a means of expression, may aect the
process of living by directing the recipient-resident to im-
portant values from the point of view of creating a home
that ensures a good life quality and by strengthening their
understanding of both, the living aspects and the structure
of the house. Art, within which architecture is located in
the above-mentioned projects, provides here (in various
forms and to a dierent degree) a tool for communica-
tion, self-reection, research method, a means of artis-
tic expression. The author’s original proposals provide
Art Exhibition. National Museum in Gdańsk, Department of Modern
Art, 2015 and [as part of:] the International Exhibition “Mosty Sztuki
– Art Bridges”, Kalisz 2015 University Art Gallery, Faculty of Pedagogy
and Arts of the University of Adam Mickiewicz in Kalisz.
11
Transposition of the title of the international conference orga-
nized as part of the DOFA, Wrocław 2016.
Architecture in the field of art on the example of author’s realizations 93
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Abstract
Architecture in the field of art on the example of author’s realizations
The aim of the article was to show the place of architecture in the space of art on the example of original projects. In the author’s opinion, archi-
tecture, using an artistic object as a means of expression, inuences the process of living by showing the recipient, who is an inhabitant, important
values from the point of view of creating a house that ensures a good quality of life and strengthening the understanding of both various aspects of
living and elements of the house structure. The text presents original intentional projects, being the results of research work, and presents the manner
and scope of their impact on the living process.
The subject of the three described projects were spatial installations using, in two cases, ideological architectural sculptures as an artistic medium.
All the projects had home and habitation as their leading themes. Their task was to recall memories, strengthen the sense of identication, or recall
the values supporting the said dwelling.
unique statements that oer insight into the subjective,
hermetic world of the creator, but also open horizons to
the established, multi-layered process in which each of us
participates. It is true that these activities are similar in the
concept of site-specic art, but they could also be treated
as ones that belong to social art, due to their focus on the
social context, namely the addressees, present and pro-
spective inhabitants of the places mentioned (cf. [27]).
This is exactly the way in which architecture creates not
only material, but also cultural modules from which expe-
rience is built in the complex process of living. The need
to mark one’s own outlook and to provoke its emergence
in recipients becomes a response to the strong pressure to
standardize the behavior of city dwellers in public space.
Hopefully, this need for individualization translates into
the need to shape individual houses, even if these are ats
within multi-family housing estates, seemingly doomed to
failure in relation to the possibility of experiencing identi-
cation in living (cf. [19, p. 27]).
Translated by
Emilia Mełgieś
94 Agnieszka Kurkowska
During the research, ideological architectural sculptures were placed in the natural landscape of Kashubia and in a block of ats. Appropriate pho-
tographic and descriptive documentation was made, constituting the basis for work according to the analytical and comparative method. An attempt
was also made to conduct a survey of project participants and recipients.
The article not only presents original attempts, the considerations contained in it may also inspire non-obvious activities, combining science and
art, indicating the applicative nature of the former and the essence of the latter.
Key words: ideological architectural sculpture, art, architecture, inhabitation
Streszczenie
Architektura w przestrzeni sztuki na przykładzie realizacji autorskich
Celem artykułu było ukazanie miejsca architektury w przestrzeni sztuki na przykładzie projektów autorskich. W opinii autorki architektura,
wspierając się obiektem artystycznym jako środkiem wyrazu, wpływa na proces zamieszkiwania poprzez wskazanie odbiorcy, będącemu mieszkań-
cem, istotnych wartości ważnych z punktu widzenia stworzenia domu zapewniającego dobrą jakość życia oraz wzmocnienie rozumienia zarówno
różnorodnych aspektów zamieszkiwania, jak i elementów struktury domu. W tekście zaprezentowano autorskie projekty intencjonalne stanowiące
poniekąd efekty pracy badawczej oraz zreferowano sposób i zakres ich wpływu na proces zamieszkiwania.
Przedmiotem trzech opisanych projektów były instalacje przestrzenne posiłkujące się w dwóch wypadkach ideowymi rzeźbami architektoniczny-
mi jako medium artystycznym. Wszystkie projekty odnosiły się do domu i zamieszkiwania jako tematów przewodnich. Ich zadaniem było przywo-
łanie wspomnień, wzmocnienie poczucia utożsamienia czy przywołanie wartości wspierających wspomniane zamieszkiwanie.
Podczas badań lokowano ideowe rzeźby architektoniczne in situ. Wykonano stosowną dokumentację fotograczną i opisową stanowiącą podsta-
wę do pracy według metody analitycznej i porównawczej. Podjęto też próbę przeprowadzenia ankiety wśród uczestników i odbiorców projektów.
W artykule nie tylko zaprezentowano autorskie próby i przedstawiono rolę sztuki w procesie powszechnej edukacji architektonicznej, zawarte
w nim rozważania mogą bowiem stanowić też inspirację do podejmowania działań nieoczywistych, łączących naukę i sztukę, wskazując aplikacyjny
charakter pierwszej i istotę drugiej.
Słowa kluczowe: ideowa rzeźba architektoniczna, sztuka, architektura, zamieszkiwanie