Pozdrowienia z Alej Jerozolimskich/Greetings from Jerusalem Avenue

@. Rondo De Gaullea
artist. Joanna Rajkowska
finished. 2002

‘Greetings from Jerusalem Avenue’, Pozdrowienia z Alej Jerozolimskich, is a life-size date palm designed by Joanna Rajkowska in 2002. It is situated at the intersection of New World Street and Jerusalem Avenue, Nowy Swiat and Aleje Jerozolimskie, a major intersection in Warsaw. According to the artist, the sculpture is an attempt to educate the city about the significance of Jerusalem Avenue. The name originates in the 18th century, when the street led to a Jewish neighborhood called New Jerusalem. The palm tree is meant to remind us that the name ‘Jerusalem Avenue’ is not transparent, that it represents a particular history and, more importantly, the absence of a culture that was once an integral part of the city (Rajkowska).