Cracow Szopka  

Artists:

Maciej Moszew (Master Artist)

David Motak (Apprentice)

Description of the Art Form

With a rich history dating to the Middle Ages the szopka (pronounced “shop-kah”) is a traditional folk craft from the Polish city of Cracow (Krakow) that transforms a variety of common, lightweight materials (wood, cardboard, colored foiled papers and candy foil wrappers, ribbon, etc.) into elaborate miniature constructions of various sizes. Beloved by Poles for centuries, Cracow is a major cultural and artistic center with many indigenous folk customs and artistic traditions.

Szopka structures were originally used as puppet theaters which performed medieval morality plays in Cracow churches. Over time, the plays became increasingly secular and were ultimately forbidden on church property. The szopka were then secularized and carried from house-to-house at the end of the calendar year by group of performers who would write and present their own plays. These troupes would audition for public and vie to perform at private holiday parties. Consequently, szopka buildings became increasingly competitive as these troupes attempted to “out design” each other.

In 1934, the city of Cracow elevated this folk tradition, creating an annual competition and public exhibition in which dozens of men, women and children participate each year. Szopka makers today have replaced the traditional Szopka stick puppets with mechanized hand-made figures, many of which reflect Cracovian folk lore as well as various historic and cultural motifs. Every Cracow szopka features a nativity scene. Outside of the small number of American practitioners, Cracow is the only location in the world where this art form is practiced.

Szopka constructions are intricate and meticulously crafted. They typically incorporate a wide range of historic architectural styles in an ornate, yet harmonious manner. Szopka artists customarily fuse a wide range of whimsical renditions of actual Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and Secessionist building styles that populate Cracow ’s cityscape. It is the goal of the szopka artist to fuse these seemingly disparate architectural elements into a harmonious structural grouping. The art form therefore features whimsical and often stunning hand-crafted renditions of actual building elements in a variety of shapes, sizes, and combinations.

Maciej Moszew

Place of residence: Krakow, Poland

Artist Statement

“I have had an enduring passion for architectural modeling since childhood. I am a graduate of the Cracow Polytechnic in the Department of Architecture and am, by profession, an architectural engineer with additional training in mechanics and mechanical systems. I have not been a practicing architectural engineer for many years, but have concentrated my energies and talents in the arts, particularly as director of mechanical systems for one of Cracow ’s major puppet theater for 12 years. I entered my first szopka competition in 1961. Like most szopka makers, I am self-schooled, developing and learning techniques through trial and error, observation and experimentation. I have been fortunate to merge my knowledge and ability in mechanical systems to make my szopka quite distinctive, each having numerous mechanical figures, which was once highly unusual in szopka design, but is now become slightly more common, although many szopka today only have a few moving figures.

In addition to my past professional training, the szopka art form has helped me to combine my training and love of architecture with this feeling which I have for Cracow . I am able to express this through a somewhat whimsical interpretation of Cracow ’s architecture. Mechanizing my szopka pieces provides me with the opportunity to realize another strong interest: the ability to convey moving figures in a naturalistic manner. Simultaneously, being a szopka maker and taking part in the annual Szopka Competition not only provides an outlet for my love of my city and its traditions, but also allows me to an active—and somewhat prominent player in the culture life of my city.”

Accomplishments/milestones

Maciej Moszew is by profession an architectural engineer but has had additional training in mechanics and mechanical system. He has not been a practicing architectural engineer for many years, but had devoted over 17 years of his professional life to theatrical work. He spent 12 years managing the mechanical systems for Cracow ’s “Grotesque” Puppet Theatre and 5 years as director of the set and set design workshop’s at the city’s famed Helena Modziejewska “Old Thatre.” During the past 5 years he has conducted various workshops and studio classes for students in the department of industrial art and design of the Cracow Academy of Fine Arts.

Moszew entered his first Szopka Competition in 1961 at age 21. Since that time he has participated in 46 consecutive annual competitions, earning over 42 awards, including 26 first place awards. His works have also been displayed as 46 annual Szopka Exhibitions sponsored by the City of Cracow History Museum, which now has three of his pieces in their collection. These pieces are often included in numerous exhibitions that the History Museum coordinates in various countries outside of Poland .

In 1993 and 1994, Moszew participated in the third and fourth International Creche Competitions in Verona , Italy earning second place.

David Motak

Current Place of Residence: Pittsburgh , PA

Artist Statement

“I have been engaged in actively researching, creating and teaching the szopka art form for the past 5 years. After my early childhood experience seeing groups with caroling troupe carrying szopka -type structures, I became reacquainted with this tradition as an exchange student in Cracow Poland where I studied Polish Culture and history at the Jagiellonian University (1970-72). I have a special fondness for Cracow , as my family originated form the area. During my two years of study, I attended the annual Szopka competitions on the city’s main Market Square . Intrigued, I audited a Polish folk art lecture conducted by professor R. Reinfuss, an eminent Polish ethnographer. I also studied with prominent Polish art historical Karl Estreicher, one of the first art historians to promote the serious study of the szopka as a legitimate art form. I remained fascinated by the szopka , and dabbled in szopka construction from time-to-time, but did not complete my first large piece until I was asked to teach my szopka workshop at the regional art center in 2003. As the szopka art form is not taught in Poland , and there are no “building manuals” I was forced to adapt American building materials to my own building methods. As a true folk artist, I am self-schooled, relying a strong visual and design sense; I have a deep understanding of the medium and its historical and cultural context. My contacts in Cracow tell me I am the first artist/educator to create and instructional methodology for the szopka and I have extensively improved my step-by-step building techniques in the five years that I have been presenting these programs.”