The Field

The intricacies of Mokotów field in Warsaw, Poland.

By Marcin Konkel

August 1^st, 2020

Mokotowskie field is a vast park close to the centre of Warsaw, the capital of Poland, separated by one of the most frequented three-lane roads that cut the city from North to South. It was a military compound not yet within Warsaw's jurisdiction in the XIX century. Afterwards, it was used as an airfield (it still holds a memorial sculpture resembling a plane on the East side of the park) and a place where sports events happened. Its space was reduced with time from 200 ha to 73 ha today. It became a park in the second part of the XX century.

Although the name of the park bears the name of the Mokotów district, Mokotów holds only a tiny part of the park. The majority is in the hands of the Ochota and Śródmieście sections of the city. Currently, in 2022, the park is undergoing complex renovation efforts that will change it to a more nature-friendly (or so it seems).

The photographs you see here are a collection of observations registered by a fixed lens camera between 2019-2020. Throughout this time, I frequented the park, living next to it, in search of the ordinary and extraordinary. I was interested in the life that changed with the time of the day, weather and season. I found it to be a haven for people who wanted to spend time with friends but also isolate and escape the constantly rushing energy of the city. It has also become a place of contemplation and joy in connecting with nature for myself.

Mokotów field also pays homage to Ryszard Kapuściński, a famous Polish reporter, by inviting people to walk some of the trails that are dedicated to him. Ryszard lived with his parents and sister on the verge of the park between 1946−1955. He once wrote in Travels with Herodotus:

"We do not really know what draws a human being out into the world. Is it curiosity? A hunger for experience? An addiction to wonderment? The man who ceases to be astonished is hollow, possessed of an extinguished heart. If he believes that everything has already happened, that he has seen it all, then something most precious has died within him—the delight in life.”

My intention in discovering the field was to stay in total wonderment, although I already visited it many times before. I hope you will experience this feeling too while exploring the material.

The Field is a project I started as an assignment from Tomasz Tomaszewski's Academy in June 2019. The mentioned engagement was my first truly long-term project with many personal challenges, doubts and lots of pushing through creative blocks. I could not imagine that a park that I live close-by might have so much to offer when one decides to observe closely and not just look. Doing that I found the Mokotów field to be a magical place full of unexpected characters, playfulness, mystery and interrelation. In the process, I reconnected with the inner voice that helped me gain another perspective on things and set me on a road to something new that I yet cannot define.

From a year-long body of work, I've chosen fifteen photographs selected from a few dozen. That being said, I continue exploring the intricacies of this unique space.