Jan Garstka—the second-place winner in the 7R Warehouse of Art’s “Young Art for the Planet” competition in the Eco Gadget category—explains how artists can improve the world around them and argues that companies could implement many interesting projects that are socially responsible and environmentally friendly without compromising their profitability.
What inspired you to create your "Pixel of Nature" project—a container that serves as a flowerpot, a micro-habitat, and a home for small creatures, while being both easy and inexpensive to produce and easy to transport?
Jan Garstka: Before I began studying at the Academy of Fine Arts, I studied biotechnology. Taking action to support nature is therefore something close to my heart. There, I was involved in environmental biology and participated in studies on various types of animals. This has given me a broad understanding of the presence of animals in man-made spaces. My project was directly inspired by studies conducted by Warsaw scientists in Skaryszewski Park. The park was slated for redevelopment, but studies by a group of biologists showed that rebuilding the infrastructure—including the paths and walkways—would have reduced the park’s biodiversity. This would have had catastrophic consequences for the surrounding area, leading to fewer nesting birds and related effects such as an increase in the number of insects and a decrease in the number of small rodents like field mice and squirrels.
As a result, I became interested in habitats and wildlife crossings. On both a medium and large scale, wildlife crossings between habitats already exist and work very well. These include wildlife crossings over highways and small crossings for amphibians and other small animals. On a smaller scale, however, such crossings are lacking. My goal was to create these elements and integrate them into urban spaces. You will be able to move them, and they will become a place for plants and provide shelter for animals. That’s how the Pixel of Nature came about. They are designed to be used by towns, companies, and even ordinary people.
It seems that nature plays an important role in your creativity…
It’s something I think about. Unlike theoretical physics, nature is something we all experience, and we all have some influence on it, just as it influences us. It is a graceful source of inspiration that can be used to improve the way the world around us works.
The environment affects us, and we affect the environment. How can artists influence people’s thinking when it comes to caring for nature?
I hope we can achieve this through such projects. An artist creates possibilities and, in principle, forces things—since part of our work is to use force. I create designs and visual communications. I focus on designing objects that can be industrially produced and that influence people based on the current concept of development. As designers, we try to encourage companies to use more environmentally friendly production processes, not only out of our own inner conviction—which we certainly have—but also from a commercial and legal standpoint. We should anticipate this in our work.
As an artist, I believe we must challenge people, put them in an uncomfortable situation that causes them some distress, but nonetheless encourages them to think deeply about various issues. The reason artists are trained is to push this reality forward. I have no interest in creating art that I find comfortable.
Could you tell us what project you're working on right now?
I am working on industrial projects for clients as part of the TAKŁADNIE (www.takladnie.com) design cooperative. These include projects related to biochemistry education, but I can’t go into details. As a cooperative, we always strive to contribute something constructive to the space around us. We have decided to remain in Poland and Warsaw as designers to help shape our country’s future as responsible creators.
Governments, cities, companies, and corporations can take action to protect the environment, but a lot also depends on the average person. How does this issue affect your everyday life?
I try to convince people to sort their trash very carefully. I try to do this myself and encourage others to think about the impact they have on the environment. For example, I try to encourage them to use the right cleaning products and choose the right mode of transportation. I also encourage them to heat their homes appropriately and make responsible consumer choices.
What do you think of the 7R Warehouse of Art “Young Art for the Planet” competition?
Such competitions help young artists gain recognition and give them the opportunity to develop their designs. They can also encourage companies to invest in suitable projects that are also entirely commercial. When we design something, we consider whether a particular solution might actually be feasible. While there are many factors to consider when developing specific projects, such implementations can indeed happen. Many designs emerge that are economically viable, so why not use them if they make the world just a little bit better?
About Warehouse of Art
The 7R Warehouse of Art “Young Art for the Planet” competition was open to students and graduates of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Its guiding motto was “Technology, Ecology, People, Coexistence.” The competition required participants to create a functional art project with an ecological theme in one of three categories: ergonomic seating, murals on the side of a fire water tank, and an ecological 7R gadget. A total of 26 entries were submitted. The winning projects are available at7rwarehouseofart.pl.
