18 August 2021

We saw the painting of Prof. Leon Tarasewicz

On 18 August 2021 in the Factory of Modular Houses of Unihouse SA in Bielsk Podlaski, the official presentation of the new work of Prof. Leon Tarasewicz took place. It will be also exhibited in the Polish Pavilion during the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. This special meeting was attended, apart from Leon Tarasewicz, by Artur Kosicki, Marshal of the Podlaskie Voivodeship, Marta Zielińska, the coordinator of the Programme of Regional Promotion and Cooperation with Universities in the Expo Team in Dubai, and Jan Mikołuszko, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Unibep SA. The conference was also attended by journalists from several editorial offices.


So, what has been a well-known Polish abstract painter doing in the production hall of a company manufacturing wooden houses? Well, painting, of course. The painter is Leon Tarasewicz, and the construction company which made its interior available is Unibep, well Unihouse, to be more precise, which is a company manufacturing modern ecological multi-family buildings made of wooden modules. This unusual meeting was initiated by the Marshal of the Podlaskie Voivodeship.

The main theme of the World Expo exhibition in Dubai is sustainable development, an idea that in the era of a pandemic and the first heralds of the ecological apocalypse has become not only a relevant topic, but also a moral imperative of immediate action. The answer to this challenge is the vision proposed by the Podlaskie Voivodeship: Xylopolis is a city of the future which is based on the organic symbiosis of nature and technology. Unihouse, which has been specialising in modern wooden construction for over 13 years, has been the supporter of such symbiosis. Even Leon Tarasewicz himself has also been emphasising for years that he draws the inspiration for his abstract art from the regularity of forest landscapes, the rhythm of field furrows, and even the geometry of flocks of flying birds.

When it comes to the work of the master, we know that the size of the painting is 13.5 by 3.4 metres, which gives a total of almost 46 sq. m. It is the greatest work of Professor Tarasewicz that he has ever painted on canvas. Its creation took over two weeks. The master of the painting spent several hours almost every day in the production hall of Unihouse, bringing to life his artistic vision. The work surprises and inspires. It is full of emotions. On 1 October, it will be presented to the world at Expo 2020 in Dubai. Professor Tarasewicz also joined the group of Ambassadors of the participation of Poland and Podlasie in the World Exhibition.

“This is a great challenge, the entire world will be looking at us”, said Artur Kosicki, the Marshal of the Podlaskie voivodeship, during the conference when referring to participation of Podlaskie voivodeship in the World Exhibition. “We are ambitious, so at the exhibition in Dubai we want to present something extraordinary and unique to prove it. That way we want to attract the interest in our voivodeship of visitors to the pavilion, to invite them to explore it further. Hence the extraordinary, unique, and one of a kind person – Professor Leon Tarasewicz.”

What was the idea behind the painting? The author explained that the painting shows the forest and the play of light in different seasons of the year.
“Remember that it will be part of the Polish pavilion in Dubai. So, on one hand, the work should be designed to be an independent work. On the other hand, it is obvious that it will be a background for other objects and showcases that are designed there,” explained Leon Tarasewicz. “What I had to do, was to the join four seasons in a forest interacting in diverse ways with the energy of light, so that it could function as part of the entire exhibition.”


Jan Mikołuszko, the President of the Supervisory Board of Unibep SA, was pleased that the painting was painted at Unihouse SA.
“It is a fantastic thing,” he said. He also stressed that Bielsk Podlaski is the centre of wooden construction in Poland. “There are companies operating here that successfully sell their products almost all over Europe”.
He also reminded that the idea of Xylopolis was born in Bielsk Podlaski, in Unitalent, to be more precise, which is a charity foundation of Unibep Group.


Marta Zielińska, the coordinator for the Programme of Regional Promotion and Cooperation with Universities in the Expo Team in Dubai said that the exhibition of Podlaskie voivodeship and the artist's work are in line with the motto of Expo 2020 in Dubai, which is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. She also added that Podlaskie voivodeship will inaugurate the Programme of Regional Promotion and Cooperation at the World Expo and will be present in the Polish pavilion for over three weeks,from the opening of the exhibition until 24 October.
“It is a commitment, but we very much hope that the region will actually accept it as both a commitment and a sign of enormous trust,” she said.


The World Expo 2020 exhibition in Dubai is the entire world in one place


The World Expo exhibition is the largest and most prestigious event in the world. It combines economic, promotional, cultural, and tourist topics. The scale of the exhibition is comparable to the Olympic Games or the Football World Cup.


The World Expo 2020 in Dubai will be the first Expo exhibition organised in an Arabic country and according to declarations of the organisers, it aspires to become the greatest show in its history. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibition Expo 2020 in Dubai has been postponed for a year and will take place between 1 October 2021 and 31 March 2022. The Expo 2020 Dubai's theme is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”.


Poland at Expo 2020 in Dubai


Poland has been an active participant of World Exhibitions for many years. The objectives of Poland's presence at the World Expo in Dubai cover both strengthening the positive image of Poland in the international arena as well as its economic promotion. There will be a multidimensional presentation of technologies and companies representing industries strategic in terms of potential to export to the Middle East markets, which should lead to a material increase in business transactions.


The Polish Pavilion theme is “Creativity inspired by nature”. Poland will be presented as a strong centre of cooperation which, owing to the development of science, offers the world sustainable, environmentally friendly technologies inspired by nature.


Responsible for the participation of Poland in the Expo 2020 Dubai exhibition is the Polish Investment and Trade Agency. The institution supervising the project is the Ministry of Development and Technology.


More information can be found on website on the participation of Poland in the World Exhibitions: www.expo.gov.pl; and in social media channels about Poland at Expo: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter.