Warsaw Under Construction 18: Sourdough. Bread-Baking Workshop with Łukasz Radziszewski

The sourdough starter we’ll be working with holds the memory of many generations and places.

It comes from the Białystok region, where housewives—including the artist’s mother—

have passed it down from hand to hand for nearly a century. This substance carries within it

the microclimate of the Knyszyn Forest. Its physical trace is the delicate, fruity aroma of the dough. This scent is created by wild yeast, which originated in a marsh within a forest reserve, from where a handful of wild berries found their way into a jar of sourdough starter years ago. All these traces come together and endure in the starter, enabling it to change and constantly assimilate its surroundings. It is a structure so sensitive that simply moving it to a new location or merely touching it with your hand is enough to modify its code and change it forever.

Before the artifact finally finds its way into your hands, the artist decided to imbue Zaczyn with a biological trace of Warsaw. It will contain air from the garden of the MOST cooperative farm, the studio and library in the home of architects Zofia and Oskar Hansen, and the Museum of Modern Art. At the end of this relay, this living substance will reach your hands, and together we’ll use it to bake exquisite bread. The workshop is also an invitation to co-create an exhibition during the finale of the “Warsaw Under Construction” festival. A pavilion will be erected in front of the Museum of Modern Art, where loaves baked from the same sourdough starter will be gathered. Everyone who receives this living substance will be able to bring a loaf they’ve baked themselves to the communal table.

The workshops at the Museum take the form of a gathering with a generous spread, combining lecture and hands-on practice. We’ll learn methods for making bread at home. Each participant will make their own sourdough bread, which they’ll take home to bake in their own oven.

Most importantly, participants will receive a jar of sourdough starter as a gift, along with

special instructions. This natural starter will allow you to bake as much bread as you like at home—or even start your own bakery. Everyone will have the chance to shape the future of Zaczyn.

The workshops are open to people of all ages. No culinary experience or advanced manual skills are required. The artist provides all ingredients, supplies, and bread recipes.