Why is There an Aluminum Foil Train in Poland?

May 30, 2017 | 9:04 PM

Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!

aluminum foil train in poland

The Foil Train

Looking like something out of a long forgotten version of the future, artist Piotr Janowski is the man behind the foil train. Dubbed Get off, Łódź Fabryczna, Janowski especially designed this piece for the opening of the new train station. Łódź Fabryczna is a reflection of the turbulent history of the city and its bright future.

Piotr gained international fame last year when he covered his Florida home completely in aluminum foil. The windows, doors, walls, driveway, and even the palm trees were covered in glittering metal.

foil-train-3

The Process

Piotr and his team of 14 assistant–students from the local academy of fine arts–covered the 42-foot long locomotive with approximately 3,900 square feet of Reynold’s heavy duty aluminum foil. The entire process took four days.

foil train process

The steam locomotive used was a Px 48 built in Poland in 1953. The 42-ton train will sit in front of the train station at the heart of the city’s new center.

“It is very important for me to involve the urban and the natural environment into my art and to open new perspectives. Aluminum as a medium gives me the chance to gain great depth and vibrations of colors and tones mirroring the surrounding space” -Piotr Janowski.

The reflective coating added to the train emphasizes the detailed texture of it and causes an unpredictable bouncing of colors.

aluminum foil train textures

Project Meaning

Interestingly, Janowski sees the locomotive as a background piece. With the entire surrounding train station and people reflected by its surface, the entire area becomes a part of the art.

“Paradoxically, it is revealing through concealing.” – Piotr Janowski

Piotr hopes his art piece will be the start of a prosperous future for the Polish town of Łódź as it goes through a period of urban renewal after the decline of the textile industry that once dominated the town.

foil train in the snow

Source: Why is There an Aluminum Foil Train in Poland?