What Lies Beneath the Asphalt of Lodz Streets? Summary of the Closing Event of the “Podziemna Łódź” Exhibition

What lies beneath the streets of Lodz? Are the century-old brick sewers merely a brilliant engineering solution and a priceless historical monument or are they also a thriving microsystem and an inspiring space for art? Participants in the unique panel discussion entitled “Cztery spojrzenia na Podziemną Łódź” [Four Perspectives on Underground Łódź] sought answers to these questions during the closing event of the photography exhibition by Dr Paweł Hikisz.

Opublikowano: 15 September 2026

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During the meeting, the invited experts confronted four different perspectives on the city’s hidden infrastructure, ranging from history and hydrobiology, through the day-to-day management of the network to the art of photography.

The participants in the discussion included:

Dr Marcin Szymański (Faculty of Philosophy and History, University of Lodz), a historian specialising in the history of Lodz and the region, and the author of publications devoted to the city’s industrial heritage.
Prof. Tomasz Jurczak (Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz), Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, for Cooperation with the Socio-Economic Environment, and an ecohydrobiologist. His research focuses on ecohydrology, environmental biotechnologies, and nature-based solutions aimed at improving water quality and helping cities adapt to climate change.
Miłosz Wika, spokesperson for the Water Supply and Sewerage Company in Lodz (ZWiK).
Dr Paweł Hikisz (Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz), a Lodz-based photographer and digital creator specialising in urban exploration (urbex), Assistant Professor at the Department of Oncobiology and Epigenetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, and the author of the photographs presented in the exhibition.

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