Art and commerce

Rafał Olbiński will create a permanent installation for the Focus Park retail gallery in Rybnik. Parkridge commissioned the artist to create a unique work of art that will adorn the wall across from the historic hop-processing plant that forms part of the original architectural base. The 42,000 sqm Focus Park, scheduled to open in September, is the first of seven retail-recreation developments from Parkridge.

Olbiński will paint a six-by-ten poster, which will then be reproduced on a scale of 1:7 using an innovative technique which, Parkridge assures, will guarantee complete preservation of the work's integrity. The work will be fully visible from the ground floor.

Contemporary brilliance

"This is the first collaboration of this sort on the Polish market," says Patrycja Wojciechowska, Parkridge's director for architecture and planning. "The juxtaposition of revitalized landmark architecture of the commercial property with the contemporary brilliance of Olbiński's artwork will be a great attraction for visitors - art buffs and lay-people alike."

Olbiński is originally from Kielce. He is considered a imminent painter, illustrator and graphic artist, best known for his magnificent posters for international theater and opera houses. He now resides permanently in New York, where he is a lecturer at the School of Visual Arts.

Olbiński's posters and illustrations are regularly featured in such publications as The New York Times, Newsweek, Art in America, Business Week and Der Spiegel. His works are included in the collections of the Library of Congress and The Modern Museum of Art, The Museum of Poster Art in Warsaw and in a number of private international collections.

Popular trend

The union of art and commerce is becoming a popular trend on the retail market, as shopping centers expand to include a broader cultural offer.

"The trend for combining culture and commerce was initiated by Grażyna Kulczyk's Stary Browar project, with much success," says Magdalena Nowak, a retail associate at Colliers.

The second phase of the Stary Browar complex in Poznań offers a range of upscale art galleries addition to its retail offer. "Such visionary schemes provide significant added value," remarks Nowak.