During the first 10 days of July selected storefronts along Świętojańska street will become unique exhibition spaces. Passers-by, tourists and city residents will be able to see much more than the usually available daily assortment. The storefronts of seven selected stores will turn into an urban fabrics galleries.
Design in the Storefronts is a presentation of works by seven Polish artists creating artistic fabrics and using traditional and non-standard techniques of weaving and creating art. The collected designs show the full potential of the contemporarily marginalized textiles as objects combining usability with decorative capabilities.
For a few days the Świętojańska street will have a chance to regain its former status on the map of Gdynia - an important meeting place for establishing relationships while shopping and strolling. This is an excellent opportunity to restore the exceptional importance of both handicraft, craftsmanship as well as the place itself. The combination of fabrics and the urban tissue will allow to retrieve ancient contexts.
The presented works:
• Moduł | Joanna Rusin - Modular fabric/carpet based on the multiplication of a simple geometric figure. Individual elements have been designed in a way that allows for easy duplication and combination into any form. The project created out of woolen felt was developed in accordance with the principle of DIY.
• Plankton | Aleksandra Richert - fabric from the OCEANIC - ORGANIC collection serves as a modern item for interior decoration. The inspiration for the creation of the object was the wealth of structures and colors of the underwater world, mainly the coral reef and the fauna of the oceans and seas. The fabric is made in the original technique forming the moving three-dimensional and sensory texture out of several layers of polyester felt. It can be treated as a textile painting to hang on the wall as well as a free standing object enriching the space.
• Woltyżerka | Ewa Majchrzyk-Hes – the Tangram fabric collection which was inspired by the old Chinese puzzle of the same name. Each of the themes in this collection consists of seven pieces of the puzzle and that are duplicated in different layouts. The pattern on the hand-painted and printed white linen shows riders on horsebacks set in circle during a parade.
• Flamingi | Pracownia Tkanina / Magda Tekieli - the fabric pattern resembles origami flamingos as well as gently delineated diagonal lines. The use of an animal theme popular in the communist era refers to fabrics such as "Zoo" by Danuta Paprowicz-Michno. The soft fabric with a plain weave created from raw cotton imported from Brazil. The formula was applied with digital printing. The fabric has a certificate of the product. No forced labor or child labor was used during the creation of the product.
• Flying Castle | Justyna Medoń - the fabric from the SPRING HILL collection comes from the workshop of Addicted to Patterns. An organic decorative motif, made in the screen printing technique was inspired by the skyward cloud formations. The handmade pattern highlights the fascination of the designer associated with handicrafts and traditional art of decorative patterns design, to which the pattern remains faithful from the beginning of the creative activity.
• Kult Morza | Projekt Kosmos – the fabric from the Kult Morza collection is inspired by the search for identity, by Poland regaining Pomerania and the emergence of Gdynia. The Propaganda of the Slavic Pomerania and Dni Morza - theatrical marches reminiscent of the ancient rituals associated with the cult of water inspired the creation of this hand-woven woolen cloth resembling a flag, from which emerges a deep sea deity.
• Gdyńska Rybka | Anna Najmajer - a unique collection of marine memorabilia produced in the "hand made" standard by the pupils of the ADAPA foundation - people with intellectual disabilities and other developmental disorders. The Gdańska Rybka series of products is inspired by the years of prosperity of Gdynia as a city of the 20's and the hand-painted fabrics are kept in a retro climate and show the selected species of Baltic fish.