Za murem [Behind the Wall]

7 December to 13 December 2021
Foto Pracownia Wschodnia
Za murem [Behind the Wall]
Paulina Grzesiak

The project "ZA MUREM" [BEHIND THE WALL] consists of twenty-two black and white photographs taken at the Private Secondary School of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Szymanów. The series was created to show a fragment of the world of the Immaculate Conception Sisters and the pupils of the secondary school they run. 60 girls study in Szymanów, 48 of whom live in the boarding house. They live in 3-person rooms on the school grounds. Through the photographs the author wants to draw attention to the courage and determination that distinguish the pupils and to how much their lives differ from those of today's teenagers. Despite obstacles, they do not stray from the path they have chosen. They are smiling, joyful and committed. They form a wonderful community full of support and understanding. The history of the school dates back to 1907, when the partitioning authorities permitted the opening of an educational institution in the Kingdom of Poland. The palace of Konstanty Lubomirski, where the school is located, was purchased by the aristocrat Maria Ciechanowska on behalf of the Immaculate Conception Sisters. The first bell rang on 15 September 1908. That is when the convent house was consecrated and the secondary school with its boarding house was opened. The school's current structure was determined by the 1999 education reform, which resulted in the creation of a girls' lower secondary school. But in a year's time, as a result of another reform, the last year of lower secondary pupils will leave Szymanów, which as a school will once again become a four-year general secondary school. Work on the project ran from June to October 2021 as part of a diploma project, under the supervision of Federico Caponi.

Installation views