How to make the white elephant work: findings from ethnographic research into Polish new cultural institutions

ABSTRACT

Since the accession of Poland to the European Union in 2004, many new cultural institutions (NCIs) have been established. Our multisited ethnography investigates their potential as urban catalysts of social, cultural and economic life, and finds that NCIs fail to function as expected. They resemble the notorious ‘white elephants’, because they are so expensive to maintain that they sometimes fail to fulfil their primary functions. The emergence of these ‘white elephants’ has resulted from: (1) a policy based on a simplified and dogmatised version of cultural economics, especially an assumption that investment in cultural infrastructure can stimulate social and economic development; and (2) local authorities’ inclination to use the spectacular NCIs as ‘monuments’ symbolising their success. We show, however, that NCIs are not in all respects expensive burdens, since it was possible to transform some of them into active contributors, sometimes by forced adaptation, sometimes by preserving continuity with the ethos of culture work at the grass-roots level. Our results shed new light on the white elephant category.

KEYWORDS:

• White elephant
• new cultural institutions (NCIs)
• Bilbao/Guggenheim effect (B/G effect)
• cultural policy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The category of NCIs encompasses cultural institutions established after 2004, when Poland joined the EU, which provided financial support to build them. The NCI category differs from the term of large Cultural Building Projects used by Kayan, Shen, and Yang (2017) in terms of the key role of the EU, and in the inclusion of smaller investments and cases of reorganisation and fundamental modernisation of the infrastructure of ‘old’ cultural institutions. What both of these categories have in common is the emphasis placed on architecture’s spectacular character, and treating it as a tool to generate cultural and economic benefits.

2. EUR 1 is about PLN 4,2.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage in Poland under Grant 04371/16.

Notes on contributors

Łukasz Afeltowicz

Łukasz Afeltowicz Philosophically trained sociologist, his main areas of research include science and technology studies, participatory action research, social innovations, and economic sociology. Recent books: Arystokraci i rzemieślnicy. Synergia stylów badawczych [Aristocrats and Craftsmen. Synergy of Research Styles] (2015, with R. Sojak); Maszyny społeczne. Współczesna inżynieria społeczna i innowacje socjotechniczne [Social Machines. Contemporary Social Engineering and Social Engineering Innovations] (2013, with K. Pietrowicz).

Krzysztof Olechnicki

Krzysztof Olechnicki Professor of Sociology and the Head of The Section of Cultural Studies in the Institute of Sociology at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. President of The Jan Mylius Scientific Society of Elbląg. Major research areas: sociology of culture, sociology of religion, visual sociology and new social movements. Recent books: Fotoblogi, pamiętniki z opcją przekazu. Fotografia i fotoblogerzy w kulturze konsumpcyjnej [Photoblogs, Diaries with the Option of Communication. Photography and Photobloggers in Consumer Culture] (2009); Dziedzictwo w akcji. Rekonstrukcja historyczna jako sposób uczestnictwa w kulturze [The Reenactment Groups. The Reconstruction of Tradition and Culture in Action] (2012, with W. Burszta, A. Karwacki, J. Nowiński, T. Szlendak); Grupy rekonstrukcji historycznej. Edukacja i konsumowanie przeszłościi [The Reenactment Groups. Education and Consumption of the Past] (2016, with T. Szlendak and A. Karwacki).

Tomasz Szlendak

Tomasz Szlendak Professor of Sociology and Director of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of Social Sciences Academia Rerum Socialium at the Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń. He has been researching in the areas of cultural activity, cultural niches, contemporary family and emotions. Recent books: Socjologia rodziny. Ewolucja, historia, zróżnicowanie [Sociology of the Family. Evolution, History, Diversity] (2011); Napięcia, starcia, rozładowania: samotna gra w kręgle w obszarze kultury [Tensions, Clashes, Discharges: Lonely Bowling in the Field of Culture] (2015, with A. Karwacki); Nowe praktyki kulturowe Polaków: Megaceremoniały i subświaty [New Cultural Practices of Poles: Mega-Ceremonials and Sub-Worlds] (2017, with K. Olechnicki).

Michał Wróblewski

Michał Wróblewski Sociologist and philosopher, Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. He is interested in science and technology studies, sociology of medicine, health and illness. His current research are focused on data and quantification practices in health technologies, culture consumption and environmental problems. Recent books: Hegemonia i władza. Filozofia polityczna Antonia Gramsciego i jej współczesne kontynuacje [Hegemony and Power. Antonio Gramsci’s Political Philosophy and Its Succesors] (2016); Medykalizacja nadpobudliwości. Od globalnego standardu do peryferyjnych praktyk [Medicalization of Hyperactivity. From the Global Standard to Peripheral Practices] (2018).

Jacek Gądecki

Jacek Gądecki Sociologist and socio-cultural anthropologist, interested in sociology and anthropology of the city and anthropology of architecture. His research projects concern the relationship between architecture and identity, as well as changes related to urban lifestyle such as the processes of gating and gentrification of residential neighborhoods. He published Za Murami. Osiedla grodzone w Polsce – analiza dyskursu [Behind Walls: Gated Communities in Poland – a Discourse Analysis] (2009); I love NH. Gentryfikacja starej części Nowej Huty? [I Love NH. Gentrification of the Old Part of Nowa Huta?] (2012).