Joanna Rajkowska is an artist well-known for her brave and nonconformist projects in the public space (eg. the artificial palm tree at Charles de Gaulle Square in Warsaw). She is currently planning to transform an old paper factory smokestack into a minaret. The project is a part of the next year Malta International Theatre Festival in Poznan, the motto of which will be cultural diversity. The Minaret would be built on the viewing axis connecting the cathedral and the synagogue.

The project has been consulted with art critics, representatives of the Catholic Church, the Jewish community and the Muslims. The leader of the Muslim League in Poznan, Messikh Mohamed Salah declares the League supports the project, and adds a minaret is just a building with no religious significance.

The project Minaret was to be financed by the Malta Foundation and the city of Poznan, which had announced the competition to select the best spacial development plan for the area where the smokestack in question was situated. However, the Competition Jury of the Polish Architects Association (Stowarzyszenie Architektów Polskich – SARP) announced the competition results together with the supplementary negative opinion on the upcoming project Minaret. The Jury justified their negative attitude towards the project Minaret with the following reasons:
1. the form of minaret is strange to Polish culture
2. the minaret will be on the viewing axis connecting the cathedral and the synagogue
3. the project can be misinterpreted as religious provocation
4. the project can be treated as an attempt to ridicule a religious symbol – minaret, as it will be built around the smokestack
5. the project does not convey any artistic values connected with cultural events in Poznan.

The open letter from the Malta Foundation – summary

In their open letter the Malta Foundation members express their anxiety concerning the attitude of the Competition Jury, which evokes feelings of hostility towards other cultures, their influences and manifestations which may disturb local status quo: “cultural events in Poznan”and “viewing axis”. The people appointed to take responsible decisions to jointly create the public space (Poznan civil servants, SARP architects) do not accept the fact that this space can be the subject of an intellectual and artistic debate, involving all interested citizens of the city, who are, de facto, the owners of the public space.


In recent years Joanna Rajkowska has accomplished a few projects which, symbolically, broaden a range of the debate and experience, eg. the palm tree at Charles de Gaulle Square in Warsaw and the pond “Dotleniacz” (Oxygenator) at Grzybowski Square in Warsaw. The projects inspired artists and art critics, as well as the citizens, who had a chance to take their stand and express their own opinion. The citizens should not be devoid of this right by arbitrary commentaries telling them what is “strange” or “local”. The public/common space and public debate should be a place of diverse attitudes and arguments.

The city council should support artistic projects in the public space. The aim of art is to open new areas for discussion; art cannot be reduced only to a practical or decorative function. The project Minaret shows that Poland or/and Poznan is not a closed and homogenous zone in which everything that goes beyond certain boundaries is considered “strange to Polish culture” and dangerous. Poland has always been a country of diverse religions and backgrounds. Meanwhile, the project referring to this rich history of Poland is being censored.

Indeks 73 Initiative Commentary

We feel equally concerned with the attitude of the SARP Competition Jury. The future of the common public space should not be decided and planned without joint debates, especially when some of the decisions can restrain artistic freedom guaranteed in Article 73 of the Polish Constitution. The surprising fact is that even though the Muslim community supports the project Minaret, their presumed objection (offending religious feelings) has been used as an excuse against Rajkowska's idea.

The Muslim League members do not feel hurt in any way with the project, on the contrary, they are happy their community will eventually be noticed in the city. This may suggest that the actual reason for criticising the Minaret is not the concern that the project can hurt religious feelings of the Muslims, but that the protests are based on prejudices against Islam. This theory is supported by an abundance and content of emails Joanna Rajkowska receives via her website, in which the artist is verbally abused and threatened. We remind all authors of the controversial emails that Article 23 of the Polish Civil Code establishes protection of personal values, such as freedom, dignity and freedom of conscience.

Other emails and the website www.kominaret.pl speak of conspiracy theories and prejudices against Islam, naming it a barbaric and oppressive religion.

The Board of the Poznan branch of the Polish Architects Association have released the statement concerning the project Minaret, in which they deny the SARP Poznan branch members have ever protested against the project and add the Competition Jury, who expressed their negative opinion about the project, included, apart from four architects – SARP members, three other represenatives of the local authority. This situation might have led to diverse attitudes and opinions.

More positive commentaries on the project can be found on Daniel Passent's blog (the world is beautiful because of its diversity), in the article by Przemyslaw Wielgosz in „Le Monde diplomatique” (the project reminds us of Polish acts of agression against Muslim countries), and on Indeks 73 member, Iza Kowalczyk's blog (is Poznań an open city?). Indeks 73 member, Ewa Majewska also thinks that the project Minaret cannot possibly be used to propagate fundamentalism (as some opponents claim), as it is created by a woman whose works are based on diversity, autonomy and community.

Joanna Rajkowska wanted to conduct social consultations before the execution of the project. The artist invited experts on public art, architecture, and Arabic and Islamic studies, representatives of the Muslim League, Jewish community and Poznan City Council. The question is if the aim of the debate is only to incite creative ferment and discussions or hold actual consultations whether to execute or not the project?

Meanwhile, the artist is glad that only the project simulation has evoked so many reactions, she feels sorry, however, that many of them are based on misinterpretations. Her project might be executed only as a temporary installation, yet it has already initiated important debates.

Indeks 73 Initiative will follow discussions concerning the Minaret and pay attention to possible infringement of Article 73 of the Polish Constitution.


Agnieszka Kaim, Lidka Makowska
Translated by Małgorzata Głombiowska