It’s no secret that Cracow has a lot of issues with smog. Just recently, a court sentence was passed that the city cannot make tourists pay the city tax, which should guarantee clean air to breathe. Or at least a passable air pollution level. That hasn’t been the case for a long time.
Smog Free Project Poland aims to change that, at least a little. The creator, Daan Roosegaarde says: “To me, real beauty is clean air.” He’s been creating social projects that examine the relations between humans, technology and the environment for years. Now, he has come up with a truly ingenious idea of combining his two passions, art and innovative technology, to show people a vision of a clean future. The project, which consists of a pop up exhibition at MOCAK, the museum of modern art, and the Smoke Free Tower, the first ever outer air purifier, which has been built in Park Jordana. The seven-metre-high tower uses ionisation to filter air and it really works! Eindhoven University of Technology has tested it thoroughly and they guarantee that the device can purify 30k m3 of air in just an hour, using less energy than a boiler. That a fantastic result!
The project was first presented in China in 2016, where it was successfully displayed and, most importantly, put to work in several cities. It’s part of an even bigger project, “The Landscapes of the Future”, which aims to improve the quality of life in urban areas. Cracow was chosen as the site for the installation as it’s the leader of Poland’s fight with smog. The tower will stay there for two months, after which it will continue its tour.
What’s more, the projects also aims to motivate citizens, local governments, NGOs, as well as clean-tech companies to join in the fight for a cleaner life. And it really does! Smog Free Project is realised with the support of ING Bank Śląski. Last December they revealed their new environmental policy, in which they declare their willingness to support anti-pollution projects.
And if you’re a fan of quirky jewellery, here’s something for you! A part of the Smog Free Project are Smog Free Rings, that is, rings made of the compressed smog particles collected by the tower. Each ring they make means that about 1000 m3 of air has been cleaned. That’s really technology and art combined!
So, visit Cracow, learn more about how you can help and, perhaps, buy a ring to always remind you to strive for a greener life.
