SYNERGY BETWEEN CRAFTSMANSHIP, ART, AND ARCHITECTURE
In the heart of Poznań’s Jeżyce district, often referred to as the Polish Berlin, at the intersection of Staszica and Szamarzewskiego streets, lies Atelier Gusta. This space is the result of an inspiring collaboration between GUSTA Jewellery, Von Motz, and mode:lina™.
It all began with a dilapidated grocery store featuring impressive, tall semicircular display windows covered with advertisements for popular salads. Located on the ground floor of a beautiful early 20th-century tenement house, both the premises and the building had been waiting for years to regain their former glory.
The task of renovating the space was entrusted to the designers from mode:lina™. This was a particularly challenging project due to years of neglect and the shop’s very small size. The key feature of the entire design became the aforementioned display windows, towering 3 meters high and ending in semicircles. Their replacement marked the beginning of the renovation, with both their shape and color defining the character of the entire space.
In this small area, a kitchenette and a bathroom with storage space on a mini mezzanine were successfully incorporated. All of this was cleverly hidden behind concealed doors to maximize the retail area.
To keep the budget in check, the curved walls concealing the back rooms were coated with simple plaster mixed with appropriate pigments. The flooring was finished with epoxy paint commonly used for concrete floors in parking garages, complemented by green and white flakes that reference the display windows.
The space quickly found its tenant—GUSTA Jewellery.
Pearls, silver, gold, and natural stones bring brilliance to the jewelry crafted by Agnieszka Jankowiak. The creator of the Gusta brand, inspired by vanishing craftsmanship and the goldsmithing tradition, pays homage to nature in her designs. She is constantly captivated by sunsets, the sound of the sea, and the raw beauty of fossils. Art is also an inseparable part of her creative process, as seen in the Bauhaus collection, where irregular pearls balance on delicate silver threads, reminiscent of Lena Kowalewicz’s mobiles.
Atelier is Gusta’s new space, where a goldsmith’s workshop merges with a boutique. The Atelier also features small sculptural jewelry forms by designers whom Jankowiak admires. Steel shelves are warmed by amber polished by Emilia Kohut, the creator of ION ART, alongside symbolic signs from Mokave and geometric forms by Magdalena Paszkiewicz. For years, Gusta has been creating wedding bands, often using entrusted gold—each stroke of the file is intentional. Meetings with couples, getting to know them, and co-designing a symbol of love forged in gold are special moments in Agnieszka’s workshop.
The grand opening was accompanied by the exhibition “Glow and Spark: The Chemical Wedding” by Von Motz, where the artist presented thirteen works spanning various artistic disciplines—ceramics, sculpture, and painting. The exhibition was a tribute to the artist’s contribution to the atelier’s creation. He designed its heart—a magical portal where jewelry is displayed.
In a fascinating fusion of art, alchemy, and spiritual symbolism, artist VON MOTZ presents an exhibition exploring the esoteric realms of magic and the occult, where alchemical transformation intertwines with the precision and craftsmanship of artistic jewelry.
At the core of the exhibition lies the concept of purification—distilling materials to their most essential form, a process deeply rooted in alchemical traditions known as The Chemical Wedding. Von Motz’s artistic approach emphasizes the reduction of materials, stripping them down to their purest essence.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is Portal No. 01, a monumental sculpture made of massive stone steps sourced from the historic Saint Roch Bridge in Poznań. The foundation consists of six sculpted stones, each adorned with alchemical symbols, forming a powerful gateway with a vast semicircular mirror at its center. This arrangement, reminiscent of an ancient drawing depicting steps leading to a doorway, evokes a profound sense of passage. The steps, historically associated with Saint Roch—the patron saint of pilgrims, travelers, and seekers of knowledge—now serve as a symbolic element of the portal, connecting realms and guiding visitors on a transformative journey.
This evocative combination of stone, mirrors, and alchemical symbolism forms a strong foundation for Gusta Jewellery Atelier. Portal No. 01 serves both as an artistic statement and a display for Gusta’s collection, seamlessly blending the solidity of traditional craftsmanship with the artistic expression of historical goldsmithing. Steel, stone, and mirrors intertwine with antique tools, creating a universe of elemental materials that underpin Gusta’s collection. This dynamic convergence of raw materials and alchemical symbolism invites a reconsideration of jewelry as both an art form and a process of transformation.
The final outcome has exceeded our wildest expectations. It stands as proof that the synergy between craftsmanship, art, and architecture leads to the creation of extraordinary spaces with a unique energy.
