Insider Secret

I’ve been in love with the work of Mirella Von Chrupek ever since accidentally bumping into the artist last year as she tended to her ‘gablotka’ on Marszałkowska 43. Had I not seen Mirella herself, resplendent in polka dots and candy floss pink, there’s a good chance I would never have noticed her work: a healthy candidate for Poland’s smallest exhibition space, this tiny display case was once used by a cobbler who conducted business from the courtyard inside.

Mirella takes up the story: “the shoemaker used it to show off his wares, but after he moved address and the box sat empty. Well, to me, it seemed like a good place for small exhibitions. I wanted to create a magical little world, something like a theater or an aquarium in which you could peer into and marvel at miniature worlds.”

“Moreover,” says the artist, “I wanted to create something that added a bit of color and cheer for people on their way home. I wanted to demonstrate that something seemingly trivial could bring a smile to people’s faces.”

And that’s exactly what she’s done. Since first renting the box from the city, she’s installed six different displays: the current one, dating from January, presents a hairy yeti who ‘went for a winter walk.’ Is a seasonal update on its way? We would certainly hope so…

For more on the artist, visit her website at: vonchrupek.com