The Vistula in a Mosaic – A Group of Female Students’ Artistic Debut PJAIT

Art has arrived on the Vistula. On October 12, the mosaic “Underwater and Above Water,” a work by Varvara Slastsenkina and Tetiana Lundiak, graduates of the Department of New Media Art at the PJAIT, was unveiled on Warsaw’s Vistula Boulevards. The artists carried out the project under the supervision of our professor, Dr. Anna Barlik, in collaboration with the Vistula District.

The mosaic consists of three connected walls and depicts two perspectives on the Vistula: life on the water and life beneath its surface.

The central wall composition , “By the Water, ” by Varvara Slastsenkina, depicts people relaxing, spending time together, and enjoying the riverside promenade. The influence of Socialist Realism is clearly visible here—the figures resemble those found on Warsaw’s monumental buildings and in the areas around the Palace of Culture and Science or Constitution Square. Back then, the central themes were work, productivity, and collective effort.

Today, Warsaw on the Vistula is something entirely different—it’s all about rest and relaxation. In my work, I’ve tried to capture this social and cultural change. — says the author.

The central wall is flanked by two compositions titled “Underwater,” works by Tetiana Lundiak. It offers a glimpse into that mysterious part of the river we don’t usually see—its depths. The artist adopts the perspective of marine flora and fauna, teeming with fish and aquatic plants. Her project also includes an animation highlighting a species of fish that once inhabited the Vistula River.

"In this way, the work refers to the historical layer of this place, highlighting water as a carrier of memory: of ecosystems, species, and history that may no longer be visible but remain part of the river’s identity," says Tetiana Lundiak.

The curator of the exhibition is Dr. Anna Barlik, Ph.D., Prof.PJAIT, who supervised both thesis projects and supported the students at every stage of translating their concepts from the academic environment into the public space. Prof. Barlik is a visual artist who primarily creates sculptures, site-specific installations, and drawings. Her works have been exhibited, among other places, at the Zachęta in Warsaw, in China, and in New York, and her sculpture “Datament” was presented at the Polish Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2023.

The resulting mosaic combines art, design, local history, and contemporary life in the Vistula River. “On the waterfront, it tells the story of how Warsaw has changed and how people use public spaces, while beneath the surface, it evokes a less visible history preserved in the memory of the river itself, ” emphasizes Prof. Anna Barlik.

The choice of exhibition venue is also no coincidence. The project was developed in close collaboration with the Wisła District, which for decades has emphasized the natural, visual, and cultural significance of the “queen of Polish rivers” to Warsaw.

We warmly invite everyone to come see the exhibition!