Wiktor Nowak
Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts, Applied Arts, Faculty Member
- I'm a graphic designer, my field of research is in Typography and Type design.edit
The research focuses on “Trakiya”, a plattenbau residential neighborhood, constructed between the late 1970s and early 1980s. Built for predominantly young families, today it houses more than 60 000 people. The aim of this paper is to... more
The research focuses on “Trakiya”, a plattenbau residential neighborhood, constructed between the late 1970s and early 1980s. Built for predominantly young families, today it houses more than 60 000 people. The aim of this paper is to explore the activity in the area in terms of in-volvement of the residents in civic causes and initiatives, their interrelations with the local Munici-pal administration, and to provide an in-depth look at the local civic practices of the inhabitants. The gathered information is part of a large-scale interdisciplinary study, including field surveys, quasi-representative sociological survey of 477 respondents, meetings with residents and repre-sentatives of the local Municipality. As results, the main issues in the civic microclimate in the neighborhood are derived and conclusions are drawn about the potential for civil engagement in the process of urban and socio-cultural development (based on meetings with the local citizens, the produced statistical data, and map materials).
The preservation of cultural heritage has a long history and a vast theoretical background. Yet its current issues are more challenging and some of its contemporary approaches-more controversial. The biggest risk factors for the tangible... more
The preservation of cultural heritage has a long history and a vast theoretical background. Yet its current issues are more challenging and some of its contemporary approaches-more controversial. The biggest risk factors for the tangible heritage are war-related destruction, damage done by the intensified cultural tourism, demolition and inadequate treatment due to urban sprawl and infrastructural development, owners' reluctance to take proper and sufficient care for the monuments due to heavy administrative procedures, inconsistent laws and regulations coupled with high costs for maintenance and renovation. These problems have a common denominator-the inability of the public and the stakeholders to recognize the importance of the tangible heritage as an external common memory, as a valuable testimony and material proof for past events. By analysing the current issues and the top-down nature of the legislation (both national and international) and the fact that most of the preservation actors and procedures are highly institutionalised, we believe this inability is rooted in the lack of available and sufficient public information about monuments under threat, especially those of local importance. Thus we propose an innovative communication-based bottom-up preservation approach which would popularise architectural heritage with the methods of public relations and the tools of crisis communication. By addressing issues on the professional and nonprofessional level, by small personal interventions, by visualising the loss of the heritage fabric on local and national level we strive for raising an open and honest discussion about the future of built heritage as an irreplaceable bearer of information. We aim to raise awareness of the importance of everyday preservation, to educate a broader and more informed audience, to foster a higher sensitivity towards public memory issues, in order to pass our history and our memories to future generations.
