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    News / Foamy Stories

    Foamy Stories
    The world of beer is round, and history keeps turning

    Matylda Sałajewska is a visual artist creating in the fields of scenography, film, public space installations and design. Originally from Częstochowa, she pursued her education and professional experience across Poland and internationally, only to return to Silesia – this time settling in Katowice. Her Silesian heritage strongly influences her work: in addition to the revitalization of the Tyskie Browary Książęce Visitor Centre, she has collaborated on numerous cultural events in the region and earned local awards.

    Her body of work stands out for its scale and diversity, including numerous exhibitions and festival appearances both in Poland and abroad. The list of her most notable projects includes developing the visual identity for the renowned "Stanley Kubrick" exhibition at the National Museum in Kraków and crafting an installation for the opening of the new Museum of Modern Art building in Warsaw.

    In her work, she often explores social and environmental themes. Driven by a passion for challenges and desire to avoid routine, she maintains an open mind, finding inspiration in everything around her and remaining in a constant state of creativity. Her process is fuelled by a profound curiosity about the world, empathy, and deep love for animals.

    Published 08.12.2024
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    How I ended up in the world of beer

    Tychy and the local brewery are not far from Katowice, where I work on a daily basis. However, it was an unfamiliar world to me, one I entered through a professional opportunity. In 2018, the revitalization of the Visitor Centre at the Tyskie Browary Książęce began, a project taken on by Konior Studio. My role was to create a new concept for the museum: starting with the narrative, through the architecture, scenography, selection of artifacts, to multimedia. At that moment, I had no idea I was embarking on a project that would consume me so completely and culminate only a few years later. It was an enormous task, but one that provided immense satisfaction and remarkable results.

    I thrive on challenges, as they push me to grow, which is why the offer was so enticing. First and foremost, I needed to dive deep into the specifics of the industry. I was provided with a vast amount of material, which, while offering great opportunities, also presented a somewhat intimidating legacy and a huge responsibility. To familiarize myself with the brewery's history, extensive research was necessary, involving a great deal of meticulous work. I read original sources, studies, and consulted with historian Tomasz Dudek, Leszek Popiołek, a brewer with nearly 40 years of experience at Tyskie Browary Książęce, as well as other staff members. This turned out to be an incredibly valuable collaboration, built on mutual respect and trust. The brewery team had played a significant role in its history, and now, they were instrumental in the creation of the new Museum. However, the greatest credit, as well as the final word on the substantive matters, belonged to Tycjan Lewandowski, the then-director of the Tyskie brand, who was deeply committed to the project.

    How I reinvented the wheel

    To create an exhibition that visitors could explore independently in a relatively short time, one that would not overwhelm them with excessive details, but would be engaging and memorable, a clear selection process and general narrative guidelines were essential. During workshops, we developed three pillars on which the entire story would be based. The first is time and continuity: the history of Tyskie Browary Książęce spans over four centuries, with beer being brewed here continuously despite historical upheavals and times of turmoil. The second pillar is the unique blend of tradition and modernity. The brewery is part historical monument, a 19th-century architectural gem, and part cutting-edge business, capable of brewing nearly 8 million hectolitres of beer annually. At the heart of the brewery is the beautifully decorated, historical brewhouse – still in operation, not a museum, while nearby the most modern bottling lines fill thousands of bottles, cans and kegs per hour. These two aspects of the brewery complement each other perfectly, with innovations introduced while respecting tradition. The third pillar is the people who, over the decades, have shaped this place with their work and lives. For many generations of brewers, the brewery was their whole world, where they not only worked but also lived, raised children, kept livestock, went to pray, and entertained themselves at the casino. The bond with past generations remains strong despite the passage of time. A fun fact: the complex features murals I designed, which recreate historical photos of brewery workers, and one of the current employees recognized his ancestor in one of them.

    A separate challenge was deciding what exactly to feature in the exhibition, as four centuries full of notable figures and events offered an overwhelming abundance of material. We chose ten key episodes – milestones in the brewery's history – and built the narrative around them, which took on a distinctive form. In a way, I reinvented the wheel, as I realized that the world of beer is circular: bottles, cans, kegs, mugs, caps and wafers all have that shape. Thus, it was only natural to use this circular motif as the central theme of our story. As a result, the historical episodes and the cinema, where the tour begins, are enclosed within cylinders. Moreover, the tour route itself forms an infinity symbol, reflecting the enduring nature of Tyskie Browary Książęce and its long history, which continues to unfold every day. Meanwhile, the corridor takes the shape of a bottle – I wanted the exhibition to include numerous motifs that are not only aesthetically pleasing and intriguing but also meaningful.

    How I learned to overcome the "no-can-do" attitude

    The next stage of this large undertaking was to choose the right tools to present specific facts and talk about them in a way that would appeal not only to beer enthusiasts but also to history lovers, architecture fans, and those interested in industrial development. To achieve this, we consulted with guides from the TBK Visitor Centre. We also benefited from the invaluable experience of Agnieszka Rudzińska, who co-created the POLIN Museum. It is essential to remember that while the Museum of Tyskie Browary Książęce aims to teach visitors about history, it is also intended to provide entertainment. That is why we prepared plenty of surprises. We incorporated various multimedia solutions – something every modern cultural institution needs – but we also provided many analog experiences, such as levers, knobs and drawers. Unlike multimedia, these elements do not age as quickly, and visitors engage with them just as enthusiastically. After all, we all have an inner child, we love to play and get bored easily. This was clearly evident during my curator tour. The group consisted entirely of adults, and it was incredibly difficult to tear them away from the brewery model, where they could bring parts of it to life by switching on lights or activating sounds. Active participation in the history, with an opportunity to discover and experience the story on your own, helps maintain focus and better retain the facts. But, of course, these are just the forms the story takes – what really matters is the story itself. Without an engaging narrative, no amount of special effects will make a difference.

    The exhibition project took a total of three years to complete, with two years dedicated to production. Developing the concept and its foundational assumptions was definitely the first major challenge. The next hurdle involved some technical issues that emerged during the production and installation stages. We had only 400 square meters to work with, and we needed to fit twelve different worlds into that space! This limited area required us to carry out numerous intricate tasks, assemble elements with millimetre precision, use a variety of materials, and balance different needs. Many times, I heard from the contractors that "it can't be done," yet somehow, we managed! A huge thank you goes to my dedicated collaborators and subcontractors who took on this challenge. However, we had to make numerous compromises, as our work was under the constant supervision of a historic preservation officer and a fire safety officer. Interestingly, the exhibition in its current form is the fourth or fifth version of the original design. Modifications, both during the conceptualization and execution phases, certainly caused a lot of frustration and stress, but in the end, those changes improved the Museum. The final result fills me with great pride. Some of my favourite elements include the section on the Polish People’s Republic (PRL) era – choosing articles from the period's press to create the beer booth was genuinely enjoyable. I also love the cylinder replicating the interior of the refrigerated train car used during WWII to transport beer. And of course, the corridor made from 11,000 bottles—it is an impressive sight as well.

    How I search for inspiration

    Creating the Museum of Tyskie Browary Książęce was an exciting, transformative experience that unlocked a great deal of creativity in me, especially since it involved a field I had not previously explored. My inspiration comes from travel, art and visits to museums and galleries. I am always learning and reading. Something as simple as an illustration, sculpture, photograph, or even a random phrase can spark an idea – sometimes even something completely unrelated to the topic, like the colour or shape of an object. While I do visit exhibitions, I never replicate ideas directly; I filter them through my own perspective and experience. Concepts often come to me unexpectedly, triggered by random occurrences, sometimes even during activities far removed from what is traditionally considered a creative process. I cannot limit myself to one style or method, repeating the same thing with slight variations. While that might help define a personal, recognizable style, it would feel monotonous to me. I thrive on diversity and challenges keep me going. Working on the TBK and Tyskie project was the longest of my career, but if I had the chance to do it again, I would jump in without a second thought.