Grete Aagaard / rum 46

„Neighbourhood Remarks” 
Residency period: in proces since March 2014

‘Neighbourhood Remarks’ project is based on a close collaboration with the local community of Nowy Port district. The artist sees herself as a moderator, delegating most of the tasks to the participants / co-authors. Activities in the frames of ‘Neighbourhood Remarks’ are a kind of laboratory researching the social and cultural territory of the district. The aim of the project is to democratize the space, rediscover it and redefine the role of its inhabitants. The exploration of the artist and the co-authors becomes the process of appropriation of these areas of the city that are mentally and physically absent from the public debate.

NOWY PORT żyje newspaper

In the first, research based part of the project, Grete Aagaard held a series of meetings and discussions with the inhabitants, tackling on ways of active shaping of the surrounding space. Issuing of NOWY PORT żyje newspaper was the result of group’s common decision and in autumn 2014 this first common production had its premiere in the public space of the district and the vicinities. Previous edition of this free, created by joint forces publication was quickly distributed and had enjoyed the attention of the readers.

The title, themes, graphic form and the content of the newspaper was based on a series of open meetings, walks in the area, group discussions as well as project management and fundraising workshops, journalism and architecture workshops. The final form of the texts was the expression of individual interests of authors and posed questions related to the place of residence – Nowy Port.

Currently, there are already three editions of the NOWY PORT żyje newspaper printed – the latest magazine was published and distributed at the beginning of 2016. As in the previous years, the project participants shared past, uncovered stories, memories, local souvenirs, as well as presented new ideas for the changes in the public space of the district.

Click here to download 3rd issue of NOWY PORT żyje (Polish version only)

Click here to download 2nd issue of NOWY PORT żyje (Polish version only)

Click here to download 1st issue of NOWY PORT żyje (Polish version only)

Participants and collaborators: Celina Draniczarek, Alicja Mianowska, Tadeusz Szymański, Iwona Kwiatkowska, Mariusz Roman, Anna Olejniczak, Krzysztof Jachimowicz, Agnieszka Graczyk, Agnieszka Zielińska, EMZI, Janina Karnas, Arkadiusz Łapiński, Jarosław Waśniewski, Jarosław Michalak, Zdzisława Małolepsza, Michał Adam Witkowski, Joanna Walkiewicz, Iwona Chudowicz.

Editorial team of the newspaper: Grete Aagaard, Barbara Piórkowska, Alicja Mianowska, Aleksandra Księżopolska, Lila Schally-Kacprzak.

Photos: Alicja Mianowska, Adam Graczyk, Youngdon Jung (artist in residency at LAZNIA CCA in 2014), Roman Lietke, Przemysław Kokot, Ireneusz Paszkowski, Michał Adam Witkowski, Agnieszka Baranowska, Bogna Kociumbas i Michał Szymończyk (materials from The City Culture Institute).

The following workshops had been organised in the frames of project:

 Journalism: Barbara Piórkowska

Project management and fundraising: Katarzyna Werner

Architecture: Przemysław Wróbel, Maciej Nitka

Project took place in the frames of Outdoor Gallery of Gdansk

Project supported by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage

Project has also received financial support from the  City of Aarhus, Danish Arts Foundation