Di agr ams
RandomnessofShadow Cat cher ’ sr out e
Locat i onsment i onedi ndai l ypl anner
Foundar t i f ect s/t r acecs/evi dences
1st of August
Material: Warsaw Ghetto map showing the boundaries Packaging: Warsaw Uprising map showing the bases of the Home Army Price: given away or 2 bouquets of freshly prepared flower
1st of August is the date that Warsaw Uprising started, in order to fight against the German troops and free the Warsaw Ghetto. Although the Shadow Catcher was only a kid but everything happened during the War time felt like just happened yesterday. While there may be memorials across the city, folding the dark moment within the maps in the Uprising Square was his own way of releasing the pains and trauma that has taken away his sense of recognising colours, hoping that one day he would be able to feel the colours of life once again. Reading Un-fold
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22nd July
Material: light sensitive paper or film Packaging: film canister or camera case Price: 2 miniature Palace models
On the 22nd of July, 1955, the Construction of the Palace was completed and it became available to the public. Since then the Palace itself has appeared in various photos and reports, the building has become a representation of the city. The employment of photographic materials here signifies the notion of the rise of tourisism.
Reading Un-fold
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3rd May
Material: flag of Poland Packaging: old newspaper Price: 1 ceramic plate painted with Polish scenery or ticket to observation platform
3rd of May is the national day of Poland, the Shadow Catcher thus has his own way to celebrate. This fold is only seen in May, and the Shadow Catcher is most likely to be found around the shadow of the spire as he remembers going up to the observation platform to view the parade from height. Because of this event, the fold and its material is rather distinctive to others and therefore costs slightly more. Although he once mentioned in the diary that he asked for a ticket to observation platform in return.
Reading Un-fold
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Visiting his favorite coffee shop
Material: clean tissue in brown or white sugar Packaging: brown sugar packet Price: a cup of coffe with a slice of cake
There is a long established coffee shop called ‘A. Blikle’ on Nowy Świat 33 which is famous for their chocolate and deserts. It is relatively close to the Palace and the Shadow Catcher often visited for a cup of coffee and and slice of chocolate cake. He was a well-known regular and was admired by the waiters and waitresses. When he was there, he would use the sugar packets and tissue to produce the ‘coffee shop fold‘. Folding procedure
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Missing his family
Material: black card, any coloured paper Packaging: vintage photograph Price: not available
Occationally, he would miss his family badly. He could always remember his mum used to make origami swans when he was feeling upset or down, and they used to go for walks around a pond in Ogrod Saski where the swans were. He always liked swans, especially the black ones. The graceful movement and the slightly mystique aspect about them had always been appealing to him. Some of these folds discovered in the suitcase seems to be lovingly created and some seems to be crumpled or torn apart. Perhaps these all reflect his emotional changes at that particular time. Reading Un-fold
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Rainy days...
Material: clear acetate Packaging: brown paper with water stains Price: 3 rain ponchoes or interesting books
On a rainy day, most people would rather want to hide under an umbrella or go into a shop than expose themselves in the rain. The Shadow Cathcer, however, had written in his diary that some days he would stand in the rain and do his folds while the material may get wet and crinkled. He especially enjoyed moments when it drizzles while the sun is still out.
Reading Un-fold
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Sick days...
Material: white paper and heavy tracing paper Packaging: small medicine container Price: 1 bottle of still water
It is said that once that Shadow Catcher was walking around while sneezing fairly frequently. It is unusual for him to be wandering around when being ill but he did record this certain fold when he is feeling ill. The folds are, in general, quite small and roughly, quickly excecuted. Some of them may remind us the old fashioned paper medicine packets, while some of them actually would remind you of pills and tablets. He believed that by folding and packing away the darkness in a bottle, he would recover sooner. Reading Un-fold
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When he heard someone singing...
Material: paper with approximate notes of the tune Packaging: not available Price: not specified/mentioned
Although the Parade Ground is mostly vacant and its only use is as a car park, sometimes there would be market stallls selling cheap jeans and suspicious well-known brand sneakers, people would sit on benches nearby and enjoy the day. The Shadow Catcher might have been interested in music/tunes, sometimes when he might be in a musical mood or when he heard someone humming, he would quickly write down rough notes on paper, then twist and roll it. There is no evidence of obvious rules for this fold and therefore the form is rather flexible and ever changing
Reading Un-fold
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Sunset hours in June
Material: evening newspaper Packaging: not available Price: 2 chocolate bars
This variation is most likely to be seen near the sunset hours, when the shadow is about to disappear. Althought it may first seem to be complex, it appeared that, after studying the unfolding process, the Shadow Catcher employed a very simple and quick method - crumpling the paper - in order to capture the darkness of the shadow in the last moments. The evening newspaper is used as the material for folding.
Reading Un-fold
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Windy Day
Material: white paper Packaging: heavy black fabric Price: a light scarf
The Parade Ground is known for being an extremely windy area, most of the time it would be difficult to walk around here without having messed up hair. The Shadow Catcher would hide in a sheltered, windless corner, making folds like this one. The darkness of the shadow is folded inside a piece of fabric first then wrapped with thick felt, completed in a streanline shape which would evoke the experience of being in such a windy environment.
Reading Un-fold
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Shadow Cat cher ’ ssui t case