Waiting – the 2016 edition of the Monumental Art festival in Zaspa

The eighth – and the last – edition of the Monumental Art festival titled Waiting is going to take place from 27 June to 8 July in Gdansk, in the Zaspa residential area. Four new, large-scale works are going to be painted by artists from Argentina and Poland. The biggest integrated gallery of murals will therefore have the total of 58 works. This year’s event is going to be the last one held in Zaspa where murals have been made for 19 years.

The artist invited to take part in the festival this year are: David Petroni (Argentina), Jorge Pomar (Argentina), Dariusz Milczarek (Poland), Jan Podgórski (Poland), Tomasz Prymon (Poland), and Kamil Kuzko (Poland). They are going to do their best to provide works worthy of the grand finale of the Zaspa painting project, closing this chapter of the city’s history and contributing to the largest gallery of mural paintings in a residential area.

The end of the festival should not come as a surprise to anyone as we declared in 2009 that the collection would be created until 2016. The seven years passed in no time. We have so far invited artists from 15 countries, which translated into the diversity of the collection. Although it is the final edition of the festival, we are not saying ‘goodbye’ to the murals in Zaspa, says festival coordinator Barbara Sroka.

Each year, festival curator Piotr Szwabe, comes up with a different motto to be elaborated on by the artists invited. This year, it is Waiting. What is it? What are counting on? What are we expecting? We are asking these questions in today’s troubled world of conflict and hatred which, however, still holds happiness and joy for us in store.

The vernissage is planned for 8 July at 6 pm in Zaspa. The participants will take a tour of the new murals with some live music and the artist talking about their works. Later on, everybody is welcome to join the picnic and the dance party at the Klub Plama GAK, where Zespół Cieśni i Tańca is going to perform on the roof.

Organiser: City Culture Institute

Partners: SM Zaspa Młyniec co-op, Plama GAK, Teknos

Media sponsors: Aktivist!, Gazeta Wyborcza Trójmiasto, Magazyn Szum, Stowarzyszenie Grafiki Użytkowej, TOK FM, Trojmiasto.pl