EUGENIAWASYLCZENKO
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Domni ⇄︎ Bezdomni is a socially engaged art project implemented in urban space.
With this installation, the aim was the creation of connections between homeless people and the rest of society. Its main objective was to allow homeless people (
Bezdomni
) to fulfill specific needs, while simultaneously creating a safe space for the act of help (from
Domni
).
The project had a large social and media response, becoming a platform for empathy and for the discussion about homelessness. By showcasing the homeless people’s stories, I wanted the general public to get in contact with their struggles in an effort to cure some old stereotypes and to broaden their perceptions regarding this issue. The original project took place in a square in the heart of Warsaw, quickly spreading to other Polish cities.
This was my final project for the Academy of Fine Arts of Warsaw, inserted in Krzysztof Wodiczko’s
Art of The Public Domain
studio.
MEDIA APPEARANCES
PRESS Gazeta Wyborcza Krytyka Polityczna Bryla wPolityce naTemat Wprost Polskie Radio Example Puszka Waw Warszawa naszemiasto Społecznik 2.0
RADIO TokFM Polskie Radio Program I Polskie Radio Program II Polskie Radio Program IV Radio RMF RDC Radio Kampus
TV Teleexpress / TVP1 Pytanie na Śniadanie / TVP2 TVN TVN24 Polsat Superstacja
The core of the project was centered around a construction containing 12 lockers, temporarily belonging to 12 homeless people.
Each locker had two doors – the top one was a one-way input, allowing people to deposit objects whereas the bottom door was operated solely by the homeless person attributed to that locker. The bottom door also featured a compartment to place the homeless person’s list of requests.
Homeless people were mostly requesting day-to-day products, like personal hygiene items or coffee, to things that help them survive in the streets, like coats, backpacks, or sleeping bags. They were also leaving their contact, asking for job opportunities.
Apart from the locker itself, this project also aimed to promote other activities with homeless and non-homeless people alike, like spontaneous meetings and picnics where everybody could socialize and share their tales. This fact not only could bring opportunities for the homeless but would also help fight isolation (and the mental health issues associated with it) that is unfortunately very common in people in this condition.