Koleżanki i koledzy [Colleagues]

Anna Walewska’s book is about the tenement house at 3 Inżynierska Street in Warsaw’s Praga district. It tells the dense story of the varied community gathered around the place: avant-garde artists and craftsmen, ordinary residents and rogues. The book covers the 1990s and early 2000s and contains dozens of archival photographs, several interviews and timelines across almost 400 pages. Published by the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw in 2024.

Cover photograph by Szymon Rogiński

I cut Szymon Rogiński’s photograph into strips and used them as layers that partly cover some of the title letters. This refers to the multi-layered nature of the book.

The graphic design is based on three contrasting typefaces. Tuna by Floodfonts, a contemporary font designed for body text, suits a story set at the turn of the century. Aspekta by Ivo Dolenc is used for details like subtitles, page numbers and quotations. Heavy, chunky Decoy by Mark Caneso fills the chapter title pages and divides the book decisively.

My goal was to create a wild and distinctive visual language emphasising the history of this unique and sometimes even dangerous place on the Warsaw map.