Rethinking Eastern Europe: Photo Fringe 2024

Our collective is comprised of diverse contemporary visual artists engaging in redefining the concept of “Eastern Europe.” We seek to present more nuanced narratives about a diverse region often reduced to a homogenous mass through photography, moving image, sculpture and visual art. Our understanding and emotional connection to the region and its past, and our love and respect for tradition is blended with modernity, creating a multifaceted explorations of identity, memory in “Eastern Europe.

“Rethinking Eastern Europe” started as a cultural event in May 2024 curated by Zula Rabikowska. The event combined an exhibition, film screenings and a symposium at The Photobook Café in London. Rabikowska invited of 18 artists from Poland, Romania, Russia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, UK, USA, and Ukraine working with photography, moving image, sculpture and performance.

Vera Hadzhiyska is a Bulgarian multi-disciplinary artist, curator and photography lecturer based in Portsmouth, England. Her practice is informed by the study of migration, cultural and national identity, history and collective memory. Her work begins autobiographically, tracing family narratives and shared traumas. Through the use of photography, archival documents, audio and video installations Vera examines historical and political events in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe, their impact on people’s lives and identity.