OUR TEACHING MOBILITY IN BELGRADE: Anna Szwaja and Ewa Protasiewicz, Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts  in Krakow

Anna Szwaja and Ewa Protasiewicz
Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts  in Krakow

Erasmus+ Mobility for Teaching at:

University of Arts in Belgrade, Faculty of Applied Arts

29.05.-06.06.2021

Thanks to the Erasmus + programme, lecturers from the Department of Design Methodology, PhD Anna Szwaja and MA Ewa Protasiewicz, had the opportunity to represent the Faculty of Industrial Design from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow at the University of Arts in Belgrade.

During the lecture, which was attended by all students from various departments, a brief history of the Faculty of Industrial Design was presented, especially, the figure of its founder and author of the pioneering ideas, Andrzej Pawlowski. Then, on the example of student’s semester and diploma projects, the main objectives of the Alternative Design Studio were presented – respect for tradition, appreciation of handicraft work, and concern for the environment. The activity presented in this way was very positively received.

The second stage of the collaboration was creative workshops aimed at making the students reflect on their native food traditions and culture, and introduce them to different design methodologies of the Faculty of Applied Arts and the Faculty of Design. The workshop started on the 1st of June, and the task was to design a contemporary dish for a traditional Serbian dish. After an introduction to the principles of the methodology, the students divided into groups and worked together on dishes for the selected dishes. Despite the period of intensive effort – the end of the academic year, reviews, exams – the workshop participants showed remarkable engagement, and the group work on the assigned topic produced very interesting results. The conceptual stage ended with the selection of the most interesting idea, and since the works were to be made of ceramics, which involves a long and demanding process, the students undertook to complete the projects in the target material and present them during online meeting at an established time.

Thanks to the kindness and hospitality of the staff of the Department of Ceramics and artists associated with the University, including Prof. Ljubica Knezevic and Prof. Bata Knezevic, lecturers from Poland had a chance to explore the most charming places in and around Belgrade, explore the top floors of famous Brutalist monuments and taste the most delicious vegetables and fruits under the Serbian sun.