Marcin Szczelina appointed artistic director of Warsaw Home & Contract 2021
Architecture critic and curator Marcin Szczelina has been appointed the artistic director of Warsaw Home & Contract 2021. The theme of this year’s event, which will take place on October 27–30 in the Ptak Warsaw Expo in Nadarzyn, will be REUNION. For the first time the event will focus on sustainable design.
The pandemic period forced a deep reflection on the operations strategy in the coming months. The Warsaw Home team took full advantage of this time to prepare this large-scale event. Currently, Warsaw Home & Contract is the fourth largest interior design industry exhibition event in Europe. In terms of the number of exhibitors and participants, this year’s fair also stands out from similar international events, as it is the only one to take place in the current form.
Warsaw Home & Contract will take place for the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. REUNION means meeting again. This word carries a great message – it is a time to come together, unite, and co-operate, guided by empathy and a desire to share what’s best. This year’s edition of Warsaw Home celebrates our encounters with friends, with other people, who are our inspiration for existence. As we meet again, new possibilities emerge.
REUNION also stands for changes we are now ready for. To implement them, everyone in the world of design, architecture, and art needs to be involved. During the pandemic, the world has changed and so have we. The absence of other human beings made us realise how much there is to lose. A lot has changed in our approach towards different tastes, smells, touch, intimacy, conversation. This lesson preludes a return, yet a one we should make on different terms.
Each meeting is different and as we meet again, we have a chance to make our encounter better and more valuable. While we need great ideas to move ahead, our main concerns should be good practices and efficient action for responsibility and sustainability.
Marcin Szczelina is a curator and architecture critic, founder and editor-in-chief of the new magazine Architecture Snob. An expert of the European Mies van der Rohe Award since 2014. Marcin is also an expert of the Climate Leadership Programme under the auspices of the UN Environment Programme and the ambassador of the Lafarge Holcim Award, an international competition promoting sustainable construction. “By uniting and sharing good practices, we want not only to indicate directions for the development of the world of design and architecture, but above all to inspire and encourage the formation of new strategies aimed at implementing responsible changes,” emphasises Marcin Szczelina.
The full curator’s text below.
REUNION
The pandemic reality has changed the course of history forever, forcing us to describe the world we live in anew. A year ago, no one knew what the world would look like “afterwards”. Many questions arose: What will we be like? What values will we uphold? Will our passions survive? Will we go back to “normal”? If so, how?
Today we are in a different place, drawing conclusions from the difficult yet crucial lesson we have received. The world has changed and so have we. As time passed, our vision became sharper – we have learnt how important it is to notice extraordinary details and appreciate beauty, art, and perfection. Our ears became sensitive to false notes – we are now attuned to listening to those unafraid of difficult topics. The absence of other human beings made us realize how much there is to lose. A lot has changed in our approach towards different tastes, smells, touch, intimacy, conversation. This lesson preludes a return, yet a one we should make on different terms.
REUNION is deeply meaningful – it is a time to come together, unite, and co-operate, guided by empathy and a desire to share what’s best. This year’s edition of Warsaw Home celebrates our encounters with friends, with other people, who are our inspiration for existence. As we meet again, new possibilities emerge. Reunion also stands for changes we are now ready for. To implement them, everyone in the world of design, architecture, and art needs to be involved. By uniting and sharing good practices, we want to not only to indicate new paths of development in architecture and design but also, or better said most importantly, to inspire and encourage positive change. A transformation is possible, provided we come up with new, responsible strategies.
Our reunion is yet another chance to build lasting relationships based on a synergic exchange of ideas and experience. It is a return to conversations, questions, and answers, to exchanging words and images, to communication based on a search for the best solutions. Having gained experience from recent events, we want to prove that though time did stand still for a while, it was not wasted. That, in fact, it was a moment that allowed us to reflect upon the values we have lost and appreciate the power of another human being and meeting them.