I PRIZE
Kamil Kasprzycki - Train of existence
The photo shows an old, rusty, metal industrial cabinet standing alone at a railway crossing. The cabinet, entangled by vines, shows how quickly nature and corrosion reclaim space when people stop caring. Its rusty color, irregular textures, the way it blends with the vegetation make it almost painterly, beautiful in its own way. Behind it, at great velocity, a train speeds by – a dynamic symbol of modernity, development and movement. The train is also a symbol of the enormous cost that corrosion poses to society. A cost that speeds by and cannot be easily stopped, like a speeding train. Between them, there is a “STOP” sign, which in this situation serves not so much as a road warning, but as a metaphorical commentary: you can stop a car, but you cannot stop time. Or progress. Or – equally important – corrosion itself.
Trying to stop corrosion is one of the greatest challenges of engineering and science. And while there are preventive measures, the very idea of “defeating” corrosion is as unrealistic as stopping a train with a “STOP” sign. It is a force that we can only coexist with – by learning to recognize it, control it, and ultimately – appreciate it.
Corrosion is also nature in its purest form – a process completely independent of humans, which operates continuously, slowly reclaiming what was once tamed by technology.
