Asia in the heart of Łódź — everyday life in the extraordinary shots of Tomasz Płuciennik

A lens for everyday life

‍Tomasz Płuciennik is not a professional photographer. He is a passionate person who has been looking at the world through a lens for more than 30 years — first analog, now digital. As he himself admits, his approach to photography is pure pleasure, delight in light, composition, color. No expectations, no pressure. With a simple premise: to show the unusualness hidden in the simplicity of everyday life and invite others to stop, wanting to see what goes unnoticed on a daily basis.

The exhibition is the result of his travels to Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. The pictures of Płuciennik are not sensational shots, but subtle stories. The face of an elderly woman selling lanterns. A mechanic who makes motorcycle parts on an old lathe in a street workshop. Children playing in the yard. Graffiti on the wall, next to a closed stall. It is a record of daily delight — a state that we lose all too easily, and which, as André Comte-Sponville wrote, is necessary to truly feel that we are alive. Tomasz Płuciennik does not look for history — he notices them and shows them as he remembered them: calm, soft, human.

There is silence in them. There is color. There is light. There is a street — not just as a space, but as a metaphor for closeness and observation. All the shots are united precisely by this perspective: a look from the level of the sidewalk, from the position of a passer-by who sees more because he is not in a hurry.

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Asia has already been here — but in a different dimension

This is not the first encounter of Stara Drukarnia with the art of the Orient. In November 2023 we hosted Irmina Barkowska with her exhibition 'ELEMENT' — a graphic interpretation of the five elements, rooted in Chinese metaphysics. The artist immersed the viewer in the world of spirituality and transcendence, exploring the symbolism of fire, earth, water, metal and wood.

Tomasz Płuciennik's exhibition is a completely different perspective — less symbolic, more documentary, and at the same time not devoid of poeticism. Where Irmina operated with sign and metaphor, Tomasz builds a narrative from small gestures and light. Where “ELEMENT” was a journey into the soul, “Footage from a Street Perspective” is a journey into everyday life. Both exhibitions have one thing in common: an attempt to capture what escapes — the element, the moment, the meaning.

A space that inspires

The lobby and conference room of Stara Drukarnia are not galleries in the classical sense. These are common spaces — places we walk through, where we meet, talk, and work. That is why we are so keen for the art present there to act — not as decoration, but as an impulse, prompting reflection. Tomasz Płuciennik's photographs have the strength to be such an impulse.

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Meet the author, see more

anymore 7 August at 7 p.m. we invite you to the opening of the exhibition “Asia. Footage from the perspective of the street.” In Stara Drukarnia at 130 Gdańska Street in Łódź. It will be an opportunity to get to know Tomasz Płuciennik, talk about his travels and outlook on the world, as well as stop together at paintings that — although silent — say a lot.

You can see Tomasz's photo exhibition right now by visiting our office building in Łódź and completely free of charge. Don't miss this opportunity for reflection and inspiration — visit our space and marvel at the moment.

Follow the profiles of Stara Drukarnia in social media so as not to miss the details of the event and subsequent artistic projects. Let's meet where everyday life meets art.

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