VELO MAGThirty-Six views of Pałac Kultury i Nauki

issue #5

I. Thirty-Six views of Pałac Kultury i Nauki

Almost everybody knows that famous painting by Katsushika Hokusai named ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’. It depicts a

large wave threatening some boats with Mount Fuji as a witness in the background. This painting is part of a series, alongside other 35 pictures, with Mount Fuji as the protagonist under

different seasons and weather conditions and always changing the places and the distance. This collection of Ukiyo-e pictures is

probably one of the most known works of japanese art.

Since my arrival in Warsaw, I couldn’t help but notice that almost from everywhere in the city I could see one building, the Pałac Kultury i Nauki (Palace of Culture and Science) commonly referred to as PKiN. This is a controversial building, since it was

built under the Soviet domination, so it’s understandable that for the Poles it still holds a negative feeling. Nevertheless, no one

can deny that it’s the most recognizable building of Warsaw.

The PKiN obviously lacks the spiritual and religious significance of Mount Fuji, but it has inspired me over the last two years to try to emulate Hokusai and so I gathered this 36 photos of the

most famous landmark in Warsaw.

All photos by: Marcos Rodríguez Velo More @ marcosrv.tumblr.com