Mural on the ‘Zakopianka’ Siedlce Neighbourhood House

The mural, unveiled in 2016, decorates the entrance to the Siedlce Neighbourhood House on Zakopiańska Street. The author, Marek ‘Looney’ Rybowski, painted a genre scene on the front wall of the building, framing its doors. The mural depicts a boy with binoculars and a man with an oar in a boat. Between them, there is a dog and toys in cardboard boxes.

Dimensions: 4 m × ca. 14 m

Object: The mural owes its dynamic composition to the choice of artistic techniques, cheerful colours, and the enlargement of the two figures flanking the boat. The playing boy, the little dog sitting in a cardboard box, the ball, the stack of boxes, and the elderly man rowing all contribute compositional variety. This diversity in the mural reflects the wide range of activities offered by the ‘Zakopianka’ Neighbourhood House, which caters to both younger and older residents of the area.

In his trademark style, Looney portrays everyday scenes featuring people and animals in a way that blends into the urban landscape and fits seamlessly into its surroundings. The artist conceived the idea for the mural himself and wanted it to suit the location, which is visited by the local community. His goal was to evoke joy and draw attention to the space.

‘My intention was for the mural to convey a message about people coming together, about community, and intergenerational contact. That’s why the mural depicts representatives of different generations on an overloaded boat, all participating in a shared adventure or journey. The boat with the figures also symbolically connects the left side of the building with the right’, explains the artist.

Location: The mural is located on the façade of the ‘Zakopianka’ Neighbourhood House. This is a meeting and integration space for the district, situated near the Winna Góra viewpoint. It serves as the headquarters for a community organisation that organises sports, dance, fitness and artistic activities and workshops for all age groups. After the mural’s unveiling, efforts were made to improve the area around the building’s entrance, with flowers planted and a bench installed.

Information about the author: Marek ‘Looney’ Rybowski (b. 1977) has been active since 1995. Alongside Tuse, he is one of the most recognisable graffiti artists in the Tricity area. He co-founded DSC, the first graffiti artist group in the region, and was also a member of the legendary EWC crew. He graduated from the Faculty of Painting and Graphics at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk in 2008. Rybowski creates works on walls and canvases, using spray paint, stencils, and brushes. His murals and paintings are full of colour, energy, and joy, often depicting children, animals, and older people. His works have been exhibited in solo and group shows in Poland and abroad and are frequently featured in art magazines. Rybowski has participated in many artistic events, graffiti festivals, and street art projects. His pseudonym comes from the animated Looney Tunes series, popular in the 1980s and 1990s.

Condition of the object: very good

Owner/guardian: the mural was commissioned by the District Council

Author of the entry: Oriana Radziuk