Gabriela Kowalska is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, scholar of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, designer and curator. Last year in San Sebastian, which the same as Wrocław was the European Capital of Culture then, Kowalska worked on the project “What can I make for you”, combining art, design and sociology. On the basis of sixty interviews and observations, at the end of the residency she created an installation presenting inhabitants of San Sebastian, their needs as well as what they would like to change in their life, environment and city.

In 2017 Kowalska decided to continue her research in Wrocław, but this time she focused in her activities on one area only – housing estate of Szczepin. As a result we got a chance to get to know not only what are the needs of its inhabitants, so to have a closer look at Wrocław in a microscale, but also to try to find out and compare what are our common needs. These related to us as the inhabitants of Wrocław, but also to us as the inhabitants of modern, European cities. These related to the space we’re living in as well as to our everyday life. The part of the project realised in Wrocław was presented during the conference “City and Culture” from 20th to 22nd of September 2017.