Unusual exhibition in the University’s Library
We invite you to the university’s library on 21 October for the Wrocław finale of the second edition of the national photographical project of Magda Rdest-Nowak – #ZOBACZ WIĘCEJ (“SEE MORE”) – at 10 o’clock on the ground floor.
Starting Monday, 23 October, we invite you to visit the exhibition created as a part of the photographical project/social campaign #ZOBACZWIĘCEJ.
The exhibition will be available to see on the ground floor in the hall next to the conference rooms.
The author, originator, and photographer… the rudder, the boat and the captain of the whole commotion is Magda Rdest-Nowak.
One person turned out to be the spark to ignite a whole big fire.
What’s the project about?
#ZOBACZWIĘCEJ is a project about the HUMAN BEINGS. Their strength, determination to fight for themselves but also about the emotions the accompany them. And all of that through the prism of an illness.
We often judge others based on what we see on the surface, and not thinking about what is their story and what are their problems.
The project is going to tell you about the tolerance, the strength and the emotions. About looking beyond and seeing an actual person in another person. About equality, sensitivity, love and joy of life. And about being happy despite the illness.
This project is mainly about the respect toward the other person and about giving, understanding and seeing and not only looking.
The “Zobacz Więcej” project is an artistic project which aims at social sensitization to the problem of chronic disease, people who are in crisis (also in mental one), the disabled and their functioning in the society and their presence in public life or any other aspect of life.
The aim of the campaign is to show a disease which does not define a person and beyond it; they can exist in many areas. It also seeks to call attention to the fact that there are people among us, that we see every day, but we often know very little about their own struggles.
It is not always as you may think … you should see more.
Realisation of the project
First edition
The idea 2019 – the pandemic – realization 2022
365 women with oncological disease (no men volunteered to participate in the project). 12 cities across Poland (Kraków, Katowice, Łódź, Płock, Poznań, Bełchatów, Skierniewice, Sochaczew, Wrocław, Radom, Warszawa i Gdańsk).
The photo sessions were realized during the weekends from 30.04 until 25.06.2022. 12 cities – 365 participants – 1 photographer.
July – August – internet campaign – the presentation of the 365 individual photos.
15.10.2022 – National Finale in Skierniewice.
01.07.2023- exhibition with the 365 photos of the first edition’s participants – Skierniewice Centre of Culture and Arts
Thanks to the sponsors, the calendar could be printed out in 1100 copies. The calendar sales reached PLN 50 000 and at the same time supplied few participants in need.
Second edition – the present
365 chronically ill people in 12 cities in Poland
(Toruń, Szczecin, Częstochowa, Kraków, Białystok, Skierniewice, Warszawa, Łódź, Wrocław, Lublin, Rzeszów i Gdynia).
The photo sessions were realized during the weekends from 6 May until 24 June. The participants were posing in the city centres wearing only white shirts. This time it was both men and women.
About the participants
In the second edition the participants are men, women, boys and girls wearing white shirts. Underneath them they hide their daily struggles with the disease, disability and intolerance that we cannot see with our eyes.
This white shirt is cancer, depression, anorexia, multiple sclerosis, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, scars on the body and many more.
You will see how strong and motivated they are to do something. How they fight with adversity and what successes they achieve. And how easy it is to fail at judgement. To judge and label. We present stories of extraordinary people who struggle with chronical diseases, disability, depression, anorexia, exclusion and other disorders and even though, they do not give up, they live their life to the fullest, have dreams and passions and they realize them as well as possible. We tell their stories to give strength to other affected people and to those who already gave up for different reasons. We motivate, give hope and faith that you can do it and it is worth it. We create a space to act for people often excluded or trapped in their own anxieties. A space to integrate and to open up to others.
We give a chance to see more!
365 participants of #ZOBACZWIĘCEJ is an indicator for the rest of the world…
What else in the project?
The calendar – a charity contribution
Additionally, we create a calendar for 2024 in which on the 12 sheets you will be able to find 12 group pictures of the participants from different cities in Poland. We invite you to come and see the exhibition.
Translated by Martyna Błaszków (student of English Studies at the University of Wrocław) as part of the translation practice.
