urban legend
fot. / photo
Kuba Cichocki, Katarzyna Dopierała, Ludwika Gnyp, Przemysław Parzysz, Magdalena Naskręt, Izabella Gustowska, Izabella Gustowska, Adrian Diego Stan,Bartosz Fasiecki, Monika Browarczyk, Barbara Piotrowska, Marianna Kurka,
Joanna Browarczyk, Magdalena Naskręt, Jędrzej Markiewicz, Jędrzej Markiewicz, Małgorzata Mikołajczyk, Andrzej Fasiecki, Beata Zimowiska, Marcin Melanowicz, Diana Lelonek, Maciej Reis, Paweł Ganecki, Helanowicz, Monika Namerla
The event by Izabella Gustowska took place in the park of Sołacz which is not only
a historical, but also a mythical place. Its extraordinary role in Poznan might be proved
by the fact that it deserved and gained the name of Stalin in the fifties as the only city park.
During the German Occupation the access to it was set exclusively for the Germans.
The park survived two wars with no damage. It was looked after by both the German
and Polish authorities. It is regarded as the most beautiful corner of the town, where you
can encounter history and nature in the middle of contemporary urban space.
All began much earlier though, as the first group of people here belong to the culture of…
the funnel goblets. The name Sołacz appears in the written resources at the end of XVI
century and referred to the millers’ village on the banks of Bogdanka river. The name is
derived from an old Polish word sol, sołek which means the garner. It became a villa in
suburban district in the beginning of XX century when it was incorporated to the area
of the city in 1908. The author of the development plan was the architect Joseph Stűbben.
The axis of the area was the valley of Bogdanka River, where a romantic English garden
was designed and planted (1908-1911). Herman Kube was the designer of the ellipsoidal
park with its slopes, paths, bridges islands and the ponds. The looks gives an impression
of a natural phenomenon. The paths are designed as if they run through a meadow or a field,
the pond is surrounded by willows and reeds. In 1912 a restaurant was opened in the
peninsula of the pond. The pavilion was brought here from the East German Show of 1911,
where it was a winery. Nowadays it is the restaurant and the Meridian Hotel after its
redecoration in the nineties.
After its opening, the restaurant was known as „Parkowa” or “Solacka” (Wypoczynek,
pod Strzechą and Piracka ) after the War, thanks to it the park gained popularity. Little boats
were then floating on the pond near the restaurant. During the First World War they had no
sign of a damage as the authorities cared for its look and attractiveness. In the time between
the wars the Park was a picturesque and peaceful place for resting and entertainment. Such
was the case after World War II and it remains so till this day. Before, it was home for plenty
of events such as concerts, fests, dancing and theater performances. The event by Izabela
Gustowska combines the romantic and entertainment elements of the park. The artist who
invited a wedding party for 30 married couples created a banquet and a theatre
performance. The art of Izabella Gustowska and the artist herself are a living history
of Sołacz.
Paweł Leszkowicz
During my walks with my dog in the Park of Sołacz, I had an opportunity to watch
wedding pairs who took their photographs there.
The couples walked, hugged, kissed near the willows, acted some dance - moves on the
bridge, they were delighted, thoughtful, sometimes bored. The best men or the bridesmaids,
children, limousines, veils, hats, champagne bottles, and of co-urse flowers and even doves
were an often requisite. Among the couples there were children running, dogs sniffing
around, cyclers and ordinary passers-by were traversing the park.
The love stories of Sołacz were recorded by professionals and amateurs. Sophisticated as
well as very simple equipment were used to commemorate the moment. The summer season
meant the real harvest of the wedding photography sessions.
Such a long-term observation created a new legend of the Sołacz Park as the place of love
narrations. Each couple means a particular personal history, every photographical session is
a particular method of work as well.
So, the legend was being born inspired by reality, the legend – Love Stories.
Via the Internet, the announcement in Gazeta Wyborcza, and, last but not least whispering
a gossip among friends, I received messages with the will of access to my project. The
feedback I received was from pairs who had always dreamed of having their wedding photo
taken in the Sołacz Park, as well as from those who wished to manifest their different
character, and from those especially the young girls who simply felt like trying on their
future role of a bride. For them, mainly the young women,
I bought all those “beautiful“ dresses in Allegro, where I received plenty of comments,
as well as a number of good advices.
So, on the June the 13th, on a rainy day, the wedding couples arrived, accompanied by
the photographers, professionals, students of Photography Department, amateurs, and the
families with their digital cameras. The multidimensional photographic session was
triggered. All was taking place in the changing room, in the toilette of the restaurant,
but first of all in the Park of Sołacz – on its paths, on its bridges, under the willow trees,
in little forest, on the meadow and even on the tram track.
The park was adorned with the white and black colors of the wedding couples, the colors
of flowers, the presence of the photographers and cameras, reflecting screens, requisites,
and of course great number of onlookers. The music by Nino Rota, the
sound track of Fellini’s Dolce Vita spread the atmosphere all around the Park.
So, the new legend emerged thanks to the peculiar atmosphere of love stories, the fantasies
of the couples and the imagination of the photographers: the Urban legend – Love Stories.
The legend showed diversity of its faces, we all were participants of the love spectacle,
where the beauty was defeated by trash, or the trash was defeated by beauty.
The truth dueled with illusion, the reality with the theatre and all dissolved in a misty
morning, rainy day of a bucolic scenery of the park.
The project could only come true thanks to a lot of people. Here, I’d like to express my
appreciation and gratitude to all of them. Especially to Kinga Ludek, who fixed all the
wedding dresses and was he author of a wedding dresses show of her own design. Special
thanks should also go to the students of Scientific Circle of The University of Life Sciences
looked after by Dr Agnieszka Krzymińska. They created the unforgettable wedding
bouquets. The wedding cake from Piotr Koperski must never be forgotten. Also my thanks
go to Krzysztof Klawenhagen, who made the his restaurant, The Meridian open to us and
for lending us the black limousine. We would be nothing without the support of Grażyna
Kosiorek, Mira Skrudlik, Dorota Grobelna, Katarzyna Czarnecka, Joanna Gustowska and
Raman Tratsiuk.
I would like to emphasize my thanks to the wedding couples, the photographers and the
onlookers - the real creators of a new legend of Sołacz - the Love Stories.
Izabella Gustowska