Welders / Spawacze
Katarzyna Jackowska
Maritimes Wissenschaftszentrum
The exhibition Welders / Spawacze by Jerzy Lipczyński merges elements of history, philosophy and art. The display features a series of figurative forms – life-sized figures created from authentic protective clothing once worn by welders at the Szczecin Shipyard.
As Dr Szymon Olbrychowski (PhD, MEng, Arch.) explains, the location of the exhibition – within the grounds of the former Szczecin port – renders it a site-specific installation, deeply rooted in the history of the people and the place, as well as the socio-economic transformations of Szczecin. It speaks not only to the labour and lives of the shipyard workers but also offers a meditation on life, transience, and absence.
Gloves, aprons, foot guards, goggles and welding clamps – all bearing visible signs of wear – become the raw material for Lipczyński’s sculptural work. These elements stand as testimony to both the technical aspects of the welding trade and the personal stories of the shipbuilders, lending the installation an emotional and human dimension.
As Olbrychowski writes:
“By employing the technique of presence through absence, the artist creates a kind of ‘row of souls’. The figures, though shaped in human form, are hollow. Within the traditions of European philosophy, emptiness and absence can be interpreted through the lens of Friedrich Nietzsche’s nihilism – his notion of the ‘death of God’ and the ensuing crisis of values. In the context of Welders / Spawacze, the absence of the welders themselves symbolises the fading significance of manual labour and traditional trades. In a world shaped by global socio-economic shifts and rapid technological advancement, such professions are increasingly becoming relics of the past.
The concept of emptiness also draws from the Buddhist idea of śūnyatā, in which all forms are impermanent and empty by nature. Here, emptiness becomes a vessel for interpretation, inviting viewers to impart their own meanings and, in doing so, become active participants in the experience of the artwork.”
More information can be found HERE.
Free admission
