Being well in the City of Weaves

People connected with Bielsko-Biała are the heroes of an extraordinary project called Being Well (Polish: Stan Dobra), which displays our greatest potential. It is already out there for all to see.

The wellbeing of residents is the main objective behind our bid to become the European Capital of Culture in 2029. We want the people who live in Bielsko-Biała – the City of Weaves - to feel good about themselves and each other, to develop and function in a friendly environment, irrespective of who they are, what they do and how they see the world. People are the greatest potential of our city. Without them it would not be what it is.

The Being Well project is excellent testimony to this. It is an extraordinary venture, comprising black-and-white portraits photos of one hundred and eleven people, residents of Bielsko-Biała and those associated with our city. These are people of different ages, from different social backgrounds, with different professions, views and interests. They are intertwined by one thing – a shared city.

The Being Well project was inspired by a proposal made by Krzysztof and Anna Wiewióra, residents of Bielsko-Biała. While holidaying in the small Italian town of Bellano they came across something they wanted to see in their own city. The realisation of such an undertaking across a number of months in Bielsko-Biała was taken on by experienced visual artist Tom Swoboda. The characters he portrayed in the photos influenced the implementation of the project, which is why they themselves became its co-creators.

The outcome of this exciting adventure was visible for all to see during the annual Bielsko-Biała Days gala, a great celebration of the project heroes and all the other people associated with our city. The Being Well exhibition had its opening at Point 11. The photographs were displayed in various parts of the city, some in the most obvious open spots, and others in very unexpected places. In this way, the portraits of the people of Bielsko-Biała incorporated themselves into Bielsko-Biała’s expanses.

Each of these portraits is of equal importance. Each one encourages us to give consideration to the path a given person has taken and to emphasise that everyone matters, and that they form an essential and irreplaceable element of the City of Weaves.