What a weekend it was under the banner of “Opening Hashtag Lab”! We still can’t get over ourselves − full of impressions, emotions and motivation for further work. We are delighted that you decided to celebrate the opening of Poland’s first Contemporary Music Space with us in such great numbers.
Our opening began with a meeting with journalists, representatives of the Capital City of Warsaw, which co-finances our project, organizations and institutions. We would like to thank Ms. President Aldona Machnowska-Góra, Ms. Mayor of the Ochota District Dorota Stegieńska, Mr. Director of the Office of Culture Arthur Jóźwik, and all participants for their presence and words of support. During this event, our reading room was enriched with archival issues of Glissando magazine. Soon you will be able to stop by us for reading. We are pleased that our activities meet with interest and − as befits a public cultural institution − we create it together.
The first visitors came to us on Friday at 12:05 and it was an incredibly pleasant surprise for us. We are happy that the opening of the Space met with interest from our new neighbors in Ochota and that over coffee we could tell you about our plans.
That day we opened two installations that had been with us all along: one recreating the mechanisms of Wojciech Błażejczyk’s #NetworkMusic network, and one taking viewers and listeners on a journey through Venetian canals − a video-opera on the patio directed by Pia Pertum. Conversations with the authors were led by Ewa Szczecińska.
On Saturday you visited Hashtag Lab from 12:00, and we were preparing for the evening opening concert. In the café, over coffee and sweets, we had many interesting and inspiring conversations.
Opening concert was started by our wonderful guests:
Martyna Kosecka & Idin Samimi Mofakham, who presented the Polish premiere of “Surge”: their voice on the crimes taking place in Iran. Then came the time for “Songs of a Mad King” by Peter Maxwell Davies, which together with the musicians of Hashtag Ensemble was performed by Tymoteusz Bies. We remember the moment of shattering violins to this day. Next came the spectacular composition by Louis Andriessen “Workers Union”. After the critique of monarchy in Davies’s work and references to Marxism in Andriessen’s work, democracy could not be missing from the concert program. As part of an unexpected surprise on our stage, Match Match Ensemble appeared, which performed “Advance Democracy” by Benjamin Britten. Thank you for the warm reception of all performances!
First at concerts, and then on the dance floor, where Rafał Ryterski and czuly presented their DJ sets, you filled the Space tightly. After that night, we also have no doubt which Podlaskie town is our and your favorite. We would like to thank Marek Chmielewski and the whole team from Orla for wonderful catering and spectacular smiles of the village administrator. We love Orla.
Thank you for stopping by all day to see our interior, for asking questions about our activities and for wishing us well. Thanks for your presence, energy, support and atmosphere that you created that evening. We consider Hashtag Lab open!