The album "Natural Histories" tells the story of man's organic relationship with nature. Portraying animals and humans, it asks questions about disappearing biodiversity, the role of the human species in the metamorphoses of nature in the Anthropocene era, and the identity of man, stretched between the poles of nature and culture. It shows - and describes in 5 popular scientific texts in Polish and English - the motility of animals and humans, movement as a natural tool of communication, and above all, how many primitive behaviors, rooted in anatomy and biology, are shared by animals and humans.
The author of the pictures is Andrzej Grabowski, theater photographer, set designer and portraitist. The graphic and editorial layout was created by Ryszard Bienert, graphic designer, author of visual identities, books, art and photo albums, winner of the main prize in the Polish Graphic Design Awards competition in the publishing category for the monograph "Polish Dance Theater 1973 - 2108", honored as Designer of the Year 2018. Articles for the publication were prepared by Dariusz Gzyra, philosopher, publicist and social activist, Anna Koczorowska, theater scholar, philosopher Prof. Jan Wolenski together with Magdalena Wolenski, Dr. Ewa Zgrabczynska, director of the New Zoo in Poznan, and Prof. Joanna Ziomek, zoologist.
Major awards:
.Gold Medal in the "artistic catalogs" category in the European Design Awards 2021 (for 2020)
.4 honorable mentions in the 61st Most Beautiful Books of the Year 2020 competition, organized by the Polish Society of Book Publishers.
- for the publisher of the Polish Dance Theater
- for Ryszard Bienert for graphic design, typesetting and preparation of photos for printing
- for Andrzej Grabowski for photographs
- for Drukmania: Natalia Luczak and Krystian Luczak in Daszewice for printing the book
Bronze Medal in the competition Best Book Design from all over the World 2022, organizer: Stiftung Buchkunst
.Thanks to its participation in the competition, the Polish Dance Theater's publication is part of the exposition of the German Museum of Books and Writing in Leipzig, the Weltformat Graphic Design Festival in Lucerne, the Museum Of Design And Applied Art in Garðabær, Iceland, and the Printing Museum in Tokyo.
