Yareal Polska, in cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, is organising a competition for students and graduates of the Faculty of Media Arts. The aim of the competition is to select a design that will form the basis for a large-format sculpture in the space of the LIXA office complex. Yareal Polska's latest initiative, emphasising a fresh look at public space, which is expressed in the creation of a link between architecture and art, is the just-announced competition organised in cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. The subject of the one-stage competition, addressed to students of the Media Imaging Studio and graduates of the Faculty of Media Art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, is the creation of a large-scale outdoor sculpture designed specifically for the architectural space of the LIXA office campus. The sculpture is to blend in with the existing space and form an integral part of the existing landscape. At the same time, it will act as an element that identifies the location. "The aim of the competition, organised in cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts, is both to show a fresh perspective on public space and to stimulate the creativity of young talents. It is a unique opportunity for students to showcase their potential and an important step towards creating inspiring and innovative urban spaces. Through this initiative, we want to express our commitment to the cultural and artistic development of the city and its surroundings. The selection of a design that will form the basis for a sculpture at the LIXA campus will not only highlight the uniqueness of the site, but also strengthen the link between architecture and art," said Jacek Zengteler, President of Yareal Poland. A separate aim of the competition is to promote the didactic achievements of the Faculty of Media Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and to highlight the cooperation between business and the art education of Warsaw. The coordinator and secretary of the competition on the part of the Academy of Fine Arts is Dr Katarzyna Stanny, Professor of the Academy, Vice-Dean for Student Affairs and part-time studies at the Media Imaging Studio. "The Interdisciplinary Media Art Department is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. It is with enthusiasm and joy that we are responding to Yareal Polska's invitation to become part of the creation of public space by creating an open-air, urban art object in front of the building on Kasprzaka Street. The Wola district has a rich tradition of the 1970s in displaying sculptures. Combining an aspect of this tradition with thinking about urban ecology and contemporary art could be of great interest to the participants in the competition. It is important that an artist working in the field of contemporary art is as interdisciplinary as possible and has creative skills in a wide range of activities where, apart from the external form, what also counts is the concept, openness to the conditions proposed by the patron of art, and often awareness of and the ability to respond to current phenomena of the world around us," commented Dr Katarzyna Stanny. The deadline for students to submit their competition entries is 31 May 2024, with the results to be announced in early June. Also in June, a post-competition exhibition of the submitted projects will be organised at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts as part of the final year's work. The foundation of the sculpture selected through the competition and its unveiling in front of the LIXA campus on the Kasprzaka Street side is planned for early autumn this year. The LIXA campus is the largest office project in the history of Yareal Polska. The complex is an excellent example of the implementation of Yareal Polska's sustainable development strategy, which puts care for the environment and the highest ESG standards at the forefront. One of the distinctive elements of LIXA is the LIXA City Gardens concept. It creates a completely new urban fabric and a unique public space that is open to both office workers, the local community and visitors and clients looking for an unusual place to spend time and relax. As part of LIXA City Gardens, they will find numerous retail and catering establishments on the ground floors of the individual buildings (also along the 150-metre-long urban walkway). During the development of the LIXA complex, Yareal Polska also took care of the renovation of the famous sculpture presenting the silhouette of Marcin Kasprzak - the patron of the Radio Works, which for years operated in Warsaw's Wola district. In agreement with the city authorities, the sculpture by artist Aleksander Pawlik was carefully restored and returned to its original location in January this year. The LIXA office campus was built in stages in the business centre of Warsaw in nearby Wola, a short walk from the Rondo Daszyńskiego metro station. It was designed by the renowned HRA Architekci studio. LIXA comprises a complex of five buildings with a total area of 77,000 sqm.