Philosopher Louis de Miranda once described neon lights as “the poetry of the 20th century night” , and for the Polish people, it is not just a poetic symbol – you may not know it, but Poland’s capital Warsaw, in It used to be a city of neon more than 70 years ago. The man-made colors are gorgeous, and the night sky of Warsaw is dotted every night, and it reflects the complex political history of the country. The face of the city has been changed by the years, and the Warsaw Neon Muzeum, which opened in 2012, is still dedicated to telling the past that should not be forgotten.
The Warsaw Neon Museum is located in one of the most famous cultural and creative industry parks in Warsaw, the SOHO factory area. Even in the immediate vicinity of numerous designer shops and galleries, the museum always draws attention at first sight with its large neon sign leaning against the façade. The builders of the museum, British photographer Ilona Karwinska and graphic designer David S. Hill, are particularly interested in Cold War social art, Polish neon signs and the history behind it, it is they The important topic of the research, Karl Winska summed it up like this:
“Neon signs serve many important purposes both culturally and socially… They become ‘signposts’, guiding the direction of the growing urban landscape and, in turn, an important part of the cultural fabric of Poland .”
Let’s go back to the 1950s. At the same time as the Iron Curtain of the Cold War fell, the political thaw in Eastern Europe was quietly emerging. The death of Stalin and the rise of Khrushchev brought the Soviet Union into a new historical period. During this period, many Eastern European countries carried out fruitful reforms to break free from the shackles of the Soviet model, the people’s consumption demand continued to grow, and a new economic trend, “consumerism under state control”, began to emerge. In the past 10 years, the Polish government has launched a vigorous “Neonisation”, aiming to make Warsaw a prosperous city full of charm and color by benchmarking Paris in France, London in England and Hamburg in Germany. Bringing hope for cultural and economic revival.
Numerous neon billboards began to appear in the streets of Warsaw. They were produced by the state-owned advertising agency Reklame and designed by the best Polish architects and graphic designers at the time. These signs often feature unique handwritten fonts and purely decorative signs, which combine design and function, and become a beautiful landscape in the city streets. Although they were often symbols of cultural and entertainment venues, because private business and personal brands did not exist at the time, these symbols often simply marked the location of the item, for example, “jewelry”, “sewing machine”, “dancing” “, “Theatre”, etc.
From the 1950s to the 1970s, the “Neon Project” lasted for nearly 20 years, and the social structure of Eastern Europe was still undergoing severe tests during this period. Since the “Prague Spring” in 1968, large-scale political protests broke out in neighboring Czechoslovakia, followed by a wave of brutal repression; Poland’s economic situation has also deteriorated, and the maintenance and repair of neon lights is difficult. Get financial support. Bureaucracy was also prevalent during this period, and it took up to 3 years to get a new neon design approved by the authorities.
Although in the early 1970s, the “Neon Project” had a brief rejuvenation, the turbulent political situation and persistent inflation kept Poland in trouble. The economic crisis that started in the late 1970s triggered a wave of strikes, and the authorities took measures to suppress and declare the country to enter a “wartime state”: the “martial law” from 1981 to 1983 greatly reduced the production scale of neon lights, and its design and materials The quality simply can’t compare to the glory days, and the neon signs of yesteryear have fallen into disrepair and are shattered and bleak.
The once-popular neon culture came to an end in the 1980s. After the upheaval in Eastern Europe, the urban landscape of Poland was completely changed, and the neon lights were damaged on a large scale. They and the significance of the times they symbolize seem to have become an indelible past of this country.
But is it really so? As artists, Karl Winska and Hill are more inclined to look at issues from a non-political perspective: Hill has a creative fascination with neon art, typography and architecture ; In a way it reflects the shortness of human life. “
What the Warsaw Neon Sign Museum wants to achieve is to break the “unmentionable” wrapped in many concepts. Different from ordinary museums, the Warsaw Neon Museum is more like a large exhibition room. The interior of the building is dimly lit. The purpose is to make the neon lights show more dazzling brilliance, and each exhibit has undergone a comprehensive restoration and renovation— – Karl Winska and Hill recruited the most professional people, most of whom were former Reklame employees.
This move costs a lot, which shows what kind of important mission the museum undertakes outside of the exhibition. The museum positions itself as “recording and preservation”. In addition to physical protection and preservation, the function of “recording” is more important. Since 2005, the two founders have been engaged in the study of neon art during the Cold War. Karwiska has published two works on neon, and is committed to discover more about the other side of the “Neon Project” – this huge national project, is also a precious piece of modern Polish design history.
During the research, Karwiska found that many of the well-known artists, such as Witold Janovksi, Janusz Rapunich and Jan Mucharski, were from the famous Polish School of Poster Design, in the exhibition, details such as these will be made public in an effort to allow people to gain a deeper understanding.
Investigate, find, study, protect, exhibit. The Warsaw Neon Museum forms a complete closed loop of exhibitions. As a private institution, the Warsaw Neon Museum does not seek or receive official public funding, relying only on donations and ticket sales in the museum. Open 5 days a week, the museum often hosts special events such as workshops, educational programs, film screenings, and guided tours, which are well received by the audience. During a European museum opening night in 2013, the museum welcomed more than 16,000 visitors, breaking the record for the number of visits to a Warsaw museum.
Such achievements are inseparable from the great help from all walks of life in Poland. In addition to showcasing refurbished neon works, the museum has also started another campaign to preserve the neon signs that still exist in contemporary Polish cities. The move was widely supported, and the Warsaw Museum of Modern Art, also enthusiastic about the neon cause, joined in, said director Thomas Vodala:
“These collections are real treasures. These are not just neon lights, they are the full picture of Warsaw Modernism.”
It’s time to face history. The brilliance of neon has once again swept away the dust on precious art. The alternation of the old and the new era will certainly make those who are in it subconsciously reject it. At this time, a pair of sober eyes from the outside world is particularly important. Remembering and rewriting in an instant, and it all often starts with beauty. The Warsaw Neon Museum presents us with such a valuable experience.
Original Author: Kirxie
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