Students of the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź to design and make a sculpture for Imagine!

The competition for the design of a sculpture to be placed in a publicly accessible passageway between buildings of the Imagine office complex is a joint initiative of Avestus Real Estate and of the Faculty of Sculpture and Interactive Actions of the Władysław Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź. Entrants will compete for a chance to see their own spatial design brought to life at the Imagine premises! The sculpture will be officially unveiled in the fall of 2019. Hanna Zdanowska – Mayor of the City of Łódź, assumed honorary patronage over this initiative.

The purpose of the competition is to select the design of a large-format sculpture that will become one of the landmarks and identifiers of the Imagine investment on the map of Łódź. The initiative is addressed to students of first and second cycle studies in sculpture at the Faculty of Sculpture and Interactive Actions at the Academy and to its alumni. Participants will be asked to design a sculpture made of steel, processed with methods of artistic metalworking.

Hanna Zdanowska, Mayor of the City of Łódź, said: ‘It’s a fantastic initiative. It dovetails with the artistic and avant-garde identity of Łódź. Art, after all, has accompanied architecture and urban studies forever. Let’s not forget about some amazing things that happened in our most recent history. For example in the early ‘80s, the greatest, internationally acclaimed artists, such as Nonas, Unsworth, Flores or Bills, placed their sculptures in Łódź as part of the “Construction in Process” project. The most recent years have seen a triumphant rise of large-format murals created in our city by equally outstanding representatives of Polish and global streetart. I am very glad that students and young alumni of our Academy will have this opportunity to take up such a challenge. Of great importance is also the fact that once again “the business” is participating in the stimulation of art.”

The entered designs will be judged by a jury headed by Professor Jolanta Rudzka-Habisiak, Rector of the Władysław Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź. The jury will also include, among others, Marek Janiak, the Chief Architect of the City of Łódź, and representatives of Avestus Real Estate. The jury will shortlist three designs.  Two runners-up will be awarded money prizes and the winner will receive the main prize: an opportunity to build his or her own sculpture at the public square between Imagine buildings. It will be financed in full by Avestus Real Estate. The winner of the competition will be the artist who receives most points in three categories: originality, aesthetic value and technological and production rationality.

Jolanta Rudzka-Habisiak, Rector of the Władysław Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź, said: “The competition for a public space sculpture initiated by Avestus Real Estate is an example of excellent cooperation between the worlds of art and business. I am particularly satisfied with this project because it promotes one of the youngest faculties of our Academy, that is the Faculty of Sculpture and Interactive Actions. Our young sculptors who choose to enter this competition will face a wonderful opportunity to mark their presence in our city in a creative, spectacular way. We are looking forward to more successful investments and artistic challenges with Avestus Real Estate. I hope that this method of incorporating artworks, also of young authors, in the urban fabric, will become a new tradition and inspire other entrepreneurs and developers to undertake collaboration with our Academy.”

The sculpture will stand at the premises of Imagine, an office complex completed by Avestus Real Estate at the intersection of Al. Piłsudskiego and Al. Śmigłego-Rydza in Łódź. The complex comprises two six-storey office buildings, which will offer a total of 17,200 sq m of commercial space: 14,800 sq m of office space and 2,400 sq m of retail and service space. The investment also envisages an overground garage offering 356 parking spaces and 49 double bicycle racks. The complex is scheduled for commissioning in September of 2019.

Mariusz Frąckiewicz, Director Poland at Avestus Real Estate, said: “Art has plenty of names, and the imagination, just like our investment, provides infinite possibilities. Imagine means modern architecture, advanced technological solutions and a number of amenities for the lessees. In carrying out an office complex that is a synonym of top quality and modernity, we use our best efforts to ensure that it also reflects the character of Łódź – a city of art, artists and many cultures. We believe that this sculpture competition will allow us to achieve this goal and that Imagine will become yet another, timeless landmark of the city. The idea to collaborate with the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź, a school that has been promoting broadly understood culture for many years, came naturally to us. We are certain that students will prove themselves creative and that their designs will fit right in with the identity of Łódź.”

Media patronage over the competition has been assumed by Gazeta Wyborcza Łódź.