A large new mural in Września is using art to draw attention to biodiversity and the protection of endangered species.
Called “Open Mind”, the work has been unveiled on the sports hall of Samorządowa Primary School no 2. It is the second of three ecological murals planned in Greater Poland as part of the “Wielkopolski Eko-Mural” competition organised by the Wojewódzki Fundusz Ochrony Środowiska i Gospodarki Wodnej w Poznaniu.
The project was carried out under the Honorary Patronage of the Marshal of the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship and funded by the environmental protection fund.
The message behind the artwork
Designed by artist Magdalena Kołodziejczak, the mural centres on a woman with a distinctive hairstyle. Look more closely and the composition reveals plants and animals whose survival is threatened. The artwork carries the words “Jeszcze się nie żegnamy”, meaning “We are not saying goodbye yet”.
The message is deliberately simple. The species depicted in the mural are not presented as a distant environmental issue, but as part of a wider conversation about what can still be protected and the role people play in that process.
The choice of a school building also gives the work an everyday audience. Students encounter the mural as part of their surroundings rather than only during a dedicated environmental lesson.
Around 70 litres of paint used
The design was transferred to the sports hall by MURALL Studio from Poznań, with three artists working on the project. Around 70 litres of paint were used.
The mural was painted using photocatalytic paints, adding an environmental element to the construction of the artwork itself. These paints contain special chemical compounds which neutralise pollution in the air when exposed to the sun.
Its combination of a large public-facing image and environmental themes reflects a growing use of murals as a way of bringing educational messages into shared spaces.
Students were part of the unveiling
The unveiling brought together representatives of the local authority, the environmental fund, the school and the artists involved in the project.
Among those attending were Września Mayor Tomasz Kałużny, Deputy President of the Management Board of WFOŚiGW in Poznań Agnieszka Lewandowska, artist Magdalena Kołodziejczak and MURALL Studio representative Dominik Dziedzina.
School director Dariusz Andrzejewski spoke about the idea behind the mural and its place within the school community.
The event also included an exhibition prepared for the unveiling. Visitors could learn about the species shown in the artwork, see photographs documenting the mural's creation and view work produced by pupils in response to the “Open Mind” project.
That accompanying material gives the mural a local educational context. Rather than being simply a finished artwork on the side of a building, it has been incorporated into activities encouraging pupils to look at biodiversity and the environmental consequences of everyday choices.
A second stop for the Wielkopolski Eko-Mural project
“Open Mind” is the second of three murals being created in Greater Poland through the regional ecological mural initiative.
For Września, the project adds a prominent piece of public art to a school setting while giving pupils a visual reminder of the region's wider environmental challenges. The mural will remain on the school sports hall as a permanent part of the school environment.
See more: Local Government and Business at Poznań Entrepreneurship Days
