Over the past few years murals not only became a permanent element of the Łódź landscape, but they also made the city famous internationally. Łódź loves art that is displayed outside of galleries and museums. The most recent element is the courtyard by Wojciech Siudmak at ulica Więckowskiego 4. It is an artistic feature other than anything else, since it is a picture of the artist transferred by experts of the Tubądzin Group onto large format porcelain tiles, thanks to which a one of a kind mural was created.
Wojciech Siudmak is a world class artist. His works brakes down the barrier between realism and fantasy. The complex compositions with a wide variety of characters just beg to be presented in large format. This time, however, the mural is an unknown piece. The latest project, which is the result from the cooperation between the artist, the city of Łódź and the Tubądzin Group, is a presentation of a new attitude towards art in the city centre. 2 works of Mr Siudmak – “The Birth of Day” and “Birds in Paradise” were transferred onto a building façade, not with paint, but on printed porcelain tiles. It was a unique project, even on a global scale. Large format works have become an integral part of Łódź, and have become part of a wide programme to visually renew the city.
About the creative process of the courtyard: Joanna Nowak – designer at the Tubądzin Group
The alliance between high art and applied art was made possible thanks to the advanced machinery and digital printers used at the Tubądzin Group plant. Modern production technology and overprinting of the tiles allowed for precise replication of the picture – characters, plants and animals full of harmony and colour balance – says Joanna Nowak, designer at the Tubądzin Group.
Tubądzin is just one of the few companies worldwide to have access to the technology that allows for the production of tiles up to 120×240 cm in size.
The preparation of the tiles was extremely complex. Not only did we have to plan their sizes, in order to fit them to the wall and baring in mind the windows, but also did we need to plan the graphics in such a way, that it was coherent as a whole. The entire production process took place in cooperation with and under the watchful eye of the artist. This project and the valued cooperation with the artist was one of the greatest challenges in my career, says Nowak.
Art for the years to come
The technique, thanks to which we can admire the work of Mr Siudmak is characterized not only by its innovative form. It is also extremely practical – both from the point of view of the artist, who wants to see his works displayed in a good state for as long as possible, but also the building administration, for which it is relatively easy to take care of. The tiles are resistant to the impact of extreme weather conditions and guarantee ideal colours and texture for a very long time.
Despite the fact that the entire façade consists of 260 elements, it does not resemble a mosaic. The smallest tile used for the wall decoration measured 51x25cm and the largest element measured 200x100cm. The creation of such impressive elements was made possible thanks to the expertise of the Tubądzin Group, which has many years of experience working with artists and designers. Their plant in Sieradz is one of a few places in Europe where such large tiles can be produced. Each stage of this project required another type of expertise.