W. under construction

Exhibition design 2023 | ‘The cold days are over’ – main exhibition of the 15th “Warsaw under construction” festival for the Museum of Warsaw | Team: lead designer Jan Strumiłło, assistant designer Paulina Bukowska, conceptual support Zofia Zatorska & Marta Szczepańska | The exhibition is open in the Wola Museum of Warsaw on 12, Srebrna street | 22.09.2023 – 24.03.2024 | Photos courtesy of Museum of Warsaw | Photography by Tomek Kaczor

The axis of our concept is the spontaneous urban toolbox of popular heat protection. We are fascinated by the resourcefulness and creativity of those who have to make do with what’s available. In this particular case our heroes are the people who cannot escape to the seaside or just lie down in the shade by the river but simply have to endure the summer in the city. The ‘Warsaw under construction’ festival has made a name for itself by bringing art out of the museum or gallery to common people in the streets. In this special fifteenth edition we were charged with doing the opposite. And so we did – we brought some of the street/bazaar unbeautiful pragmatism into the museum space.
We started by compiling a collection of materials, props, and strategies which we subsequently used to build a scenographic concept. The sequence of interiors responds to the exhibition narrative proposed by the trio of curators: Wanda Kaczor, Konrad Schiller and Marta Żakowska.
This was no easy task, as the Wola Museum of Warsaw’s space is divided and spread on three levels. Our design not only frames the narrative but actively supports it by providing some ‘storytelling flesh’ of its own as well. We intended to reinforce the exhibition’s point as we believe it requires all attention – now more than ever.
Reflective foils used as black-out in overheated rooms inspired us to clad the space dedicated to grassroots strategies with silver lining. Generic plastic chairs serve perfectly well as comfortable contemplation seats while cheap flip-flops constitute proximity barriers protecting selected artworks. Some of the partitions are constructed of drinking water shrink-wrapped onto pallets. Discarded AC units and portable coolers also serve as walls and backdrops for multimedia.
We are particularly satisfied not only by the complete fulfillment of our interior propositions but also by the two exterior interventions which advertise the exhibition out in the Museum’s courtyard. The ‘white carpet’ leads up to the entrance above which the ‘ventillation organs’ play their part.