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ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS


Sylvie and Krzysztof Derdacki, the curators and organizers of the exhibition "ARBORES VITAE – The last European Primeval Forest”, specialise in operations involving cultural marketing and social communication. In 2008, they established the European Earth Centre Foundation in Lodz. The aim of this Foundation is to propagate knowledge about the present state of our planet, promote the idea of balanced development and cultural tolerance, and thus raise pro-ecological and civil awareness in Poland and other European countries.

The European Earth Centre Foundation, with its offices in Lodz, is one of the leaders in the organization of large-scale pro-ecological events in Poland. The outdoor events organized by our organisation have already drawn nearly 2.5 million spectators around the country. Admission-free undertakings featuring large-format photographs, cinema shows, the Internet, concerts and education focus on three main subject areas: art, ecology and spirituality. These are usually arranged in urban areas where new spaces are found for the needs of culture - in Warsaw’s Lazienki park, in Krakow’s Planty park, a former foundry in Zabrze, the fishing port in Hel, and in Lodz – already on three occasions - the Old Town park and a former tram stop waiting-room.

The most important projects undertaken by the Foundation include:

  • „EARTH FROM THE SKY. A portrait of our planet on the threshold of the 21st century” – an outdoor exhibition featuring 123 large-format photographs by Yann Arthus-Bertrand along with an all-Poland educational program – an event promoting the idea of balanced development, sponsored by the Minister of the Environment and the Polish National Commission for UNESCO – held between 2002 and 2009 in 6 locations: Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Zabrze, Lodz and Bialystok, seen by a total of approximately 2 million visitors;

  • „PLANET OCEAN – Discovering the world of marine biodiversity” – an outdoor exhibition of 100 large-format photographs taken by Laurent Ballesta and Pierre Descamp along with a summer cinema festival and an all-Poland educational program - an event dedicated to the idea of protection and balanced development of marine habitats, including the Baltic, sponsored by the IUCN and the Minister of the Environment – held in Lodz and Hel in 2008-2009 total number of participants: approximately 300 thousand;

  • „ARBORES VITAE. The last European primeval forest” – an outdoor exhibition of 100 large-format photographs taken by Jan Walencik along with a summer cinema festival and an all-Poland educational program – an undertaking promoting knowledge about the Bialowieza Primeval Forest and other primeval forests around the world, sponsored by the Minister of the Environment and the Polish National Commission for UNESCO – held in Lodz in 2009; seen by approximately 80 thousand visitors.