I had Katowice in my sights for quite some time. Therefore, when the occasion occurred based on other obligations, I did not hesitate to spend a few spare hours in the capital of Silesia. Of course, the time at my disposal turned out to be decidedly enough. The temperature being below zero and the snow blizzard did not make it easier. Nevertheless, I will share my experiences.
Tour in Google Maps: HERE (I recommend you to take tram/bus between distant places)
Time walk: 1h20m (by feet, but it will be quicker if you take bus/tram)
- Escif, Mikusińskiego St. 5
We started atypically, because we started from the Silesian Park in Chorzow. We directed our steps to Mikusinskiego Street. Interestingly, on our way, completely by accident, we came across an excellent gallery of artworks by local and less local artists (Aleja Lesna). We also came across the works of the Monstfur group, which comes from Czestochowa, so it has a special place in my heart. The group went out of business a few years ago so we were lucky to find their works in that good condition.
After walking along Lesna Avenue and losing our way a few times, we arrived at our main destination for the day – the Escif’s mural. The mural fits beautifully into the typical Polish space (dreary colors). Escif is one of my favorite artists. His works delight regardless of whether he creates large-scale formats or small inserts on the city. What’s interesting is that Escif himself only created the big switch. It was over time that the inscription “Turn Mind” appeared at the bottom, painted by an anonymous artist.
2. Zielona Głowa, Małgorzata Rozenau, Gnieźnieńska St. 11
The next mural is very close to Escif’s work. Just a few minutes and a few tenements away, and you will see a mural standing out against the gray neighborhood. Created by Małgorzata Rozenau – a painter and lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice – the mural is meant to draw attention to the issue of ecology and respect for nature. The mural was created on the initiative of the Silesian Climate Movement.
3. Aleksandra Błędowska, Modelarska St. 5
Time for the last one in the neighborhood. We venture deeper into the increasingly unrepresentative, but increasingly characterful tenements. To find the next mural, you have to enter one of the gates. Upon exiting it, you will see quite a big courtyard and a lovely mural that was created as part of the revitalization of this space. The concept of the work was the result of discussions with residents of the tenements neighboring the courtyard. Just look at the mural to see what interesting people live here. 😉
4. Three murals next to each other, Katowicka St. 43 / 41 / 39
We got on the tram and approached Katowicka Street. Here, opposite the school, we will see three murals. The first and at the same time the most colorful of them is a symbol of Katowice’s cooperation with other cities. Therefore, on the mural we will find buildings characteristic of each of the partner cities. The work was created by NIETAK.eu company.
Just to the right, a block away we will see another mural, this time created by Raspazjan – one of the most recognizable Silesian artists. In Katowice we will find several more of his smaller or the same size works with different symbolism. This work refers to the Silesian Blues Trail. Interestingly, a large group of blues musicians come from the district where the mural is located – Koszutki.
Walking further along Katowicka Street, we came across another mural, which has its “brother” in… Lodz. 😉 Both these works are meant to remind us of Poland’s participation in the Expo 2020 World Exhibition in Dubai. The third mural in the series will be created in Warsaw. The author of the work is Patryk Hardziej.
5. Mural depicting Jerzy Kukuczka, Wojciech Walczyk, intersection of Markiefki & Katowicka St.
The snow became increasingly impossible to ignore, so we decided to slowly end the tour. But before that, we directed our steps towards the Bogucice district. The tenements are getting redder and redder, and more interesting. After several minutes of walking, we came to a mural depicting Polish Himalayan mountaineer Jerzy Kukuczka, which was created on the initiative of the district councilors. It is impressive!
6. MCity, Sobieskiego St. 13
We are slowly heading towards the train station. However, before we finish our walk, we will see two more murals. The first is a work by Gdynia-based artist Mariusz Waras (MCity). The mural was created in 2012 and today looks a bit different than before. On the huge wall, the artist showed how big factories and people destroying the surrounding nature with interacting tubes. However, over the years the ivy that initially grew at the bottom of the wall has taken over the entire space and thus metaphorically showed the victory of nature over human action.
6. Put in, put out, Szwedzki & Real, Goeppert-Mayer St.
Finally, we went to see one of Szwedzki’s most recent works, which in a way is a comment on the current situation in Europe. On the wall on Goeppert-Mayer Street, across from Lidl, you’ll find a portrait of the Russian president, along with a classic ‘Szwedzik’ man showing what he thinks of Putin.
This is where we end our tour – everything is soaked, the snow disturbs our vision, and the temperatures don’t allow us to take our phones out of our pockets. We will definitely return to Katowice, as we only managed to visit one and a half districts. We want more of this great city!
Here’s a hint – anyone preparing a trip to Silesia should take a look at the official map of murals. The site makes it easy to visit and is quite up-to-date: https://murale.katowice.eu/.
More photos from Katowice you can find on my instagram.
Bye, bye!
PS In addition to the points on the map, you can find a lot of smaller works in Katowice that are there one day and gone the next. I recommend having eyes around your head.
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