Can design help build local identity? – lecture by Zofia Oslislo-Piekarska

On Friday 7 November at 6 pm, MOCAK Library would like to invite you to a lecture by Zofia Oslislo-Piekarska Can design help build local identity? The story behind the book New Silesians: City, Design, Identity.

The book New Silesians: City, Design, Identity attempts to analyse the phenomenon of semantic design, inspired by the culture and heritage of the region, which in recent years have been important factors in the shaping of the local identity.

In Silesia, the city, as a centre of cultural foment and laboratory for hatching new ideas, has been especially favoured by a group of activists who try to transform the negative stereotype of their region as a heavily industrialised area with a degraded natural environment. The group is the New Silesians, who lead the transformation of the region through design and by promoting dialogue between local resident groups with different cultural identities. They are individuals who have made a deliberate decision to live and work in Silesia. They include artists, architects, ethnographers, art historians, culture analysts, musicians and designers. Formal education does not matter too much; what does matter is, above all, commitment. They share a sense of commitment to the place where they live, which they express through action.

The New Silesians are inspired by miners’ culture and the post-industrial landscape as well as by language, culinary traditions and folklore. Their projects help the residents to get to know and savour their own heritage whilst at the same time telling the story of Silesia in a way that is attractive to outsiders. Design becomes an important tool in improving the image of the region and in effecting social change.

Zofia Oslislo-Piekarska (b. 1985) – designer and cultural analyst, assistant professor in the Faculty of Graphic Design of the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice. Awarded the Certificate of Typographic Excellence in the 59^th TDC Type Directors’ Club competition as well as the 53^rd competition for ‘The Most Beautiful Books of the Year’ run by the Polish Association of Book Publishers.

More info: http://zofiaoslislo.com/
The event accompanies the exhibition Literary Inspirations.
The lecture and discussion will be conducted in Polish.

The event accompanies the presentation of the works by young artists from the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice Literary Inspirations. On the same day at 5 pm, there will be a curator guided tour of the exhibition. >>>