The topic of urban wastelands has been running through various Warsaw activities for several years, showing the potential and the extraordinary need to discover and revitalize these places. Many publications and projects have been written around this topic. Gilles Clement described them as “Third Places,” pointing out the profound importance of wasteland as a source of biodiversity, and consequently the importance for us — residents.

Within the framework of the Wasteland Biennale, we want to look for wastelands that we pass every day, that we see from the windows of our apartments, work, that bother us, but also make us curious. We want to consider what role wastelands play in the urban structure, are they a bad thing, or on the contrary? What we can or should do with them and how art can help us discover another side of the city.

An important aspect of this activity, is the involvement of local communities. Artistic and cultural projects that are carried out in neighborhood spaces repeatedly show that they can be a tool that helps residents stimulate a sense of shared responsibility for the space and encourage the sharing of its resources. Perhaps this is the key to revitalizing the wasteland?