A Gift from Krakowians to the People of Pomerania
This artistic installation was created by Kraków-based artist Bartolomeo Koczenasz. In 2018, the sculpture was transported on a traditional Vistula river barge from Kraków to Gdańsk.
During the four-week voyage, involving a group of Kraków artists and Vistula enthusiasts, the Moon sculpture was presented each evening on the riverbanks of both small towns and major cities, including Puławy, Warsaw, Sandomierz, Kazimierz nad Wisłą, Toruń, and Płock.
The realized river journey referred to the historical significance of the Vistula as a waterway facilitating trade and cultural exchange in previous centuries. For many centuries, the Vistula served as Poland’s principal transport route, with Kraków and Gdańsk playing crucial—if not the most important—roles along it. Moreover, the sculpture’s intended exhibition site was located near the former Polish Hook (Polski Hak) harbor, historically the final stop for Vistula raftsmen.
During August and September 2018, the Moon was temporarily exhibited at the Imperial Shipyard (Stocznia Cesarska). Unfortunately, on the night of September 8–9, the sculpture was stolen, destroyed, and thrown into the Motława River. The incident was reported to the police; however, the perpetrators were never identified, and the investigation was eventually discontinued by the local prosecutor’s office.
The case received nationwide media coverage, and parallel searches were conducted for both the vandals and the sculpture. For many hours, a team of divers searched the canal bed. The Moon was found two days later by a bosun from the Remontowa Shipyard in the Motława River, approximately 3 kilometers from the site of the incident. Shipyard workers successfully recovered the sculpture and transported it back to the Imperial Shipyard.
Notes from the Moon
Notes from the Moon is a documentary film presenting the project A Gift from the People of Kraków to the People of Pomerania by Bartolomeo Koczenasz, realized by CSW Wiewiórka in cooperation with the City of Kraków.
As part of the project, Koczenasz built a sculpture of the Moon which, in 2018, was transported on a traditional Vistula river barge (galar) from Kraków to Gdańsk. The voyage referred to the historical role of the Vistula River as a major waterway that enabled both trade and cultural exchange in past centuries. For centuries, the Vistula was Poland’s primary transport route, with Kraków and Gdańsk playing significant—if not central—roles along this axis.