2 modern copper chrome and clear glass ball ceiling pendant lights
glass and stockings, Various Artists, 2016
The Wife, the Sister and the Husband
Malgosia (the wife), Bozena (the sister) and Zbyszek (the husband) are the proud owners of a light shop on the corner of a busy street in Olsztyn. Entering the shop we ask them how long they have been running the place. ‘For too long’, Zbyszek answers with a big smile. Zbyszek and his sister explain to us that they have been here for 30 years already, but neither looks much older than 40. Before, during communist times, the people from Olsztyn were already buying their lamps and lights here. When the family took over the shop 30 years ago, it was the first privately owned shop in town. It was hard to be the first as it was the end of the communist regime.
Walking around in the ‘old town’, Monika Stepien, our local guide, explains to us that there are several buildings in which businesses seem to be hidden. During the communist period it was standard that shops didn’t have a shop window like nowadays. You just had to know where they were located and trust that the products were good. The city of Olsztyn seems like a clash between old and new, east and west. To find a ‘saudade’-worthy business in the ‘old town’ is not so easy. Lumenart is located a bit beyond the touristic centre where most old buildings have been transformed into banks, chain stores, bars and restaurants.
When we finally find ‘our’ lights in a sea of pendants, Zbyszek calls his spouse to the counter and proudly presents her to us. They have been married since they opened the shop. They celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in May. We are lucky to have found them five minutes before closing time, and are thankful to them for keeping the shop open a bit longer to share their story with us.
Various Artists bought 2 modern copper chrome and clear glass ball ceiling pendant lights.
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