Poland 2010 - Day 4 - Gliwice

While waiting to meet up with Nick that first morning, we went for a walk around the streets of Gliwice. Two memories come to mind - young men handing out flyers for ESL schools and some kind of smell - kind of a combination of toasted barley with a bit of burned coal. It made me think of my grandmother; she lived in Poland until the age of 18 when she immigrated to the US. Perhaps a bit of Poland came with her?

While living in Poland for the last 6 years, Nick has taught ESL for his bread and butter (or would that be kielbasa and beer). But Nick is first and foremost an artist. It's what he lives for. But we aren't talking Rococo! None of that foo-foo art for him! Nick's art has heart and always a message; and it seems to me a favorite and reoccuring theme often has to do with feet and their journey.

Poland is one of the most generous EU countries when it comes to granting asylum. In 2008 over 6000 Chechen refugees came to Poland. But inspite of their asylum, they experienced ill-treatment. Nick's art exhibition depicted the flight, plight and search for a new home of these people through a series of projects. For the first half of Nick project, he facilitated a concerted effort of both children from Gliwice and children from the refugee camp to design and build a craft depicting the journey of the refugees of Chechyna.

For the second half of Nick's project, with the help of his mates, he crafted from a mosiac of 100's of 18 inch branches, a circular platform, patterned with concentratric rings and 9 clusters of lighter colored branches within the outer darker ring; it was in the middle of a tall-grassed field,. These lightered colored branches are made of willow, which has a strong growth hormone; in months/years to come these 9 clusters of willows will take root creating walls for this mosiac floor, symbolizing the hope of a place to call home for the Chechen refugees.

After meeting up with Nick, we went to the field to and put the finishing touches on this rug-like mosiac.

Next we walked to the park in the center of town. There, we were to meet his posey of friends, art gallery associates, supporters and children and their parents who had designed the boat. Hmm... where is everybody? And here they come, huge group of people, young and old processing in our direction with a trailer manually in tow with the boat on top of it. They had treked from the gallery, where they had to removed the window in order to get the boat out of the gallery as it was too big to fit through the door.

They launched the boat into a small lake and floated it out and onto an island.

Next we started a 3 mile journey across town, around a big lake to the edge of the field. Days before, Nick and his helpers had cut a lenthy, looping labryinth-like path around the field ending up at the wooded mosaic. Old and young journeyed through the labryinth ending with a murmurs of awe at this work of art, stripping off sock and shoes to walk on this structure. A small ceremonial presentation of the project was offered in polish by the gallery director. Proud Auntie : )

When we were done, we walked back half-way along the tram-tracks toward town and caught it midway giving our dogs a rest : )

Later that evening we feasted on Polish fare at the 4 Art Klub Muzyczny. My favorite soup has become a traditional polish "sour" soup made from sour rye starter - "Zurek".

Afterwards, while Nick went back to his apartment to collect his traveling clothes for the next part of our journey, Paul and I walked across town to a wine bar with three of Nick's fabulous friends - Anya, Bartok (not present), Tim and his girlfriend and dang-I-forgot his name with the beautiful little daughter.

After some delicious wine and more delightful time with Nick and friends, we proceeded up the highway about 1 hour arriving in old and charming city of Krakow where we stayed in one of the many cozy accomodations Nick lined up for us.