Prof. Marek Domański (Academy of Fine Arts) and Ewa Ciechanowska are the curators to the exhibition. The text accompanying the exhibition has been prepared by Prof. Tomasz Ferenc from the Faculty of Economics and Sociology of the University of Lodz.
When living in the city, we dream of nature, peace and quiet. The city can tire, irritate, put off.
In sociological terminology, the phenomenon of urban population migration to rural and suburban areas is defined as suburbanisation. This is a stage of transformation of the demographic and spatial structure of the city, which becomes possible along with the development of public and private transport.
Many of Artur Urbański's photographs evoke associations with the visual-retro figure of the 'landscape after the battle': torn-up earth, barely standing crooked fences, a celadon-coloured disturbing glow. And indeed, there is a kind of battle going on in these places, a constant struggle for a new and better life. However, Artur Urbański's work is not just a metaphor. In a broader context I clearly see it as a disturbing diagnosis or warning.
More about the growth of suburbia, hopes related to moving to the outskirts of cities and disappointments that appear over time, as well as about the photographic journeys of Artur Urbański, who documented the suburbs at an exceptional time – between the evening and night, can be found on the exhibition website (in Polish).