Castaways and Packers

Material/technique: rusted post-industrial elements, machine parts, assemblage

Object: The sculptures are placed on the slipway of the former Hull Department, in the area of the former Imperial Shipyard. Two series of sculptures – Packers (Pakerzy) (2017–2018) and Castaways (Rozbitkowie) (2019) fit perfectly into Art Area WL4 Milky Peter (Przestrzeń Sztuki WL4 Mleczny Piotr). They form a composition of several deconstructed figures, which emerge one by one from the water onto land like shipwrecked people discovering the shipyard’s shore. The sculptures were made of post-industrial elements, car parts, machines. This allowed for a futuristic effect reminiscent of the world Ridley Scott created in the film Blade Runner (1982), whose plot takes place in 2019, which coincidentally is when the castaways of Czesław Podleśny appeared in the area of the former Gdańsk Shipyard. As the artist himself explains, he does not secure his sculptures against corrosion, because he wants to obtain a natural material degradation effect. He wishes viewers to see in his works something more than simply a lump of scrap metal. The group of sculptures is gradually growing, in 2020 the figure of a castaway with dogs appeared. People are the leitmotif of Czesław Podleśny’s work, both their ups and their downs, of which these sculptures are an expression. They were made for the celebration of the 30^th anniversary of the first free elections in Poland. There were seven figures initially, but seeing to the very positive reception, the artist decided to make more. The sculptures were made with a specific intent and drew inspiration from specific events, but the artist leaves everyone free to find their own meaning. Czesław Podleśny has been creating objects from waste and scrap materials for many years. As he often himself underlines, one of the interpretations can stem from the material he uses, i.e. the excessive production of seasonal, short-lived items and growing consumerism.

Location: The sculptures are placed on one of the shipyard’s slipways, near the building belonging to the WL4 Art Space, in which the artist has his studio. The building used to house the Mleczny Piotr (Milchpeter) inn, and then a café located in the garden on the Motława river’s left bank. According to an opinion from 1843, the building takes its name from its owner, the dairy owner Peter. Over time, information would appear that his name was Melchior Peter, which was shortened to Milchpeter. Next to the building, there was a boat quay for passenger ships going to Wisłoujście, and later also for the ferry crossing the Vistula to Przeróbka. In 1856, the area belonging to Milky Peter was reduced by the areas bought by the Royal Shipyard. The end of activities came when a new gas plant was constructed in 1903-1904. From 1921 to 1926 the area served as the location for winter anchoring of Polish warships, including the torpedo boats Kujawiak, Krakowiak, Mazur, as well as the Pomorzanin hydrographic survey ship.

Information about the author: Czesław Podleśny (born 1959) is a sculptor and ceramist. He studied at the Faculty of Sculpture at the State School of Fine Arts in Gdańsk (now the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk) and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. In 2018 he obtained the title of doctor of arts at the latter. Together with Jerzy Fober and Andrzej Szarek, he is one of the co-founders of the “…kim jesteś” (…who are you) artistic group. He uses a variety of materials in his art, which can be found in museums and private collections. He was a resident at American universities, for example the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. He is the originator and coordinator of the WL4 Art Space in Gdańsk, which has been operating since 2015, and in Milky Peter since 2018.

Condition of the object: good

Owner/guardian: WL4 Art Space Milky Peter (WL4 Przestrzeń Sztuki Mleczny Piotr)

Author of the entry: Dorota Kucharczyk