WEST OF LUMUMBOWO

Exhibition

What is it about?

The exhibition ‘West of Lumumbowo’ tells the story of Łódź as seen from the perspective of places that once bustled with multicultural life. The inspiration for the exhibition was the legendary Academic Housing Estate, known as Lumumbowo – a meeting place for Łódź students and young people from Asia, Africa and Europe. It was there that friendships were formed, artistic communities developed and a sense of the city as a melting pot of cultures emerged.

By whom?

The author of the project is Edwin Dekker, a Dutch interior designer who wrote his master’s thesis in Łódź in the early 1990s on the city during the period of transformation. Today, he divides his time between Rotterdam and Łódź. He returns to Galeria Wschodnia after many years to interpret the experience of the city in motion through photography and architecture – balancing between the centre and the periphery, memory and the present.

Who is it for?

For those interested in the history of Łódź and its multicultural heritage, for lovers of contemporary art, photography and architectural experiments. The exhibition will appeal to students, young people, adults and seniors – anyone who wants to look at the city from a different perspective.

Why is it worth it?

‘West of Lumumbowo’ is not only an exhibition, but also a cultural bridge. Dekker confronts his own memories with the experience of Łódź in the process of transformation and revitalisation. His works reflect on what constitutes the centre and the periphery, how local communities are born, and how fleeting the memory of a place can be. It is an opportunity to rediscover Łódź – as a city that has always thrived on diversity and cultural dialogue.

Availability

The gallery is located on the first floor of a tenement building, and the entrance requires climbing stairs — there is no lift.

There are public transport stops near the building: Rewolucji 1905r.-Wschodnia, Pomorska – pl. Wolności, Zachodnia – Próchnika.

Photos

Construction in Process 1990, photo by Edwin Dekker (1991)
Juwenalia, photo by Edwin Dekker (1992)
Permanent Temporariness, photo by Edwin Dekker (2013)
Closed shops on Wschodnia Street, photo by Edwin Dekker (2021)
Lumumbowo (Pretor student dormitory), photo by Edwin Dekker (1991)