Gallery wall with various photographs and artworks, including black and white, color, and mixed media images, arranged on a white wall.

Photo Fringe, Phoenix Art Space, Brighton 2024

RETHINKING

EASTERN EUROPE

We are an art collective and collaborative platform for artists exploring the “Eastern Bloc” notion, challenging misconceptions and stereotypes associated with the region.

About us

The collective was founded in 2024 by the Polish visual artist Zula Rabikowska, and developed in collaboration with Vera Handzhiyska, Ksenia Kazintseva, Paulina Korobkiewicz, and Diana Serban among others. It currently brings together artists from Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and the diaspora to challenge simplified narratives of the “Eastern” Europe. As a mixed-media collective with a strong photographic core, we are particularly committed to expanding the visibility of artists from historically underrepresented regions.

Rooted in lived experiences of migration and post-socialist identity, we explore themes of memory, belonging, intergenerational history, and shifting geopolitical landscapes. We currently have 50 visual artists from across Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czechia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Croatia, Serbia, Russia, Bulgaria, Germany, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Denmark, the UK, and the USA.

Recent projects include Copeland Gallery, Format Festival, Brighton Photo Fringe, Arles, and the Photobook Café. Our work has been featured by the British Journal of Photography, Contemporary Lynx, Izba Arts and Kontur Magazine.

The UK continues to navigate complex questions surrounding identity, belonging, and community. These issues resonate globally, where shifts in political landscapes and rising nationalist movements add further layers to discussions of unity and division.

Our exhibitions highlight the shared experiences and cultural intersections between Eastern European communities and wider society. Through this exploration, we uncover the rich tapestry of identities, histories, and traditions that define Eastern Europe, while seeking to build bridges between the diverse experiences of these communities and those within the UK.

We organise collaborative workshops with universities and cultural organisations, and installations combining photography, textiles, and archival material. Our methodology is collaborative, often involving co-authorship, storytelling workshops, and public programming that bridges artistic practice with education and community dialogue.

By delving into themes of identity, memory, and shared heritage, we aim to cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation of the complexities present in both regions.

We invite audiences to engage with the multifaceted nature of who we are, how we perceive and relate to our heritage, and how we navigate the space "in between cultures."

Meet us at Photo London

We are thrilled to announce that Rethinking Eastern Europe will be exhibiting at Photo London 2026, the UK's leading photography fair, as part of the Discovery section — a platform dedicated to emerging and boundary-pushing voices in photography.

This marks a significant milestone for the collective, bringing together twelve artists whose practices explore memory, identity, belonging, and the rich and complex histories of Central and Eastern Europe. The exhibition will be on view at Olympia, London, from 13–17 May 2026, with a VIP preview on 13 May.

Exhibitions & events

Rethinking Eastern Europe presentation by Zula Rabikowska, Photographers Gallery, London, December 2025

FORMAT 25 Photobook Market, Format Festival, Quad, Derby 14-16 March 2025

In the space between words, Copeland Gallery, London, UK, 12-16 March 2025

Festival OFF Arles with Foto Festiwal and 
Institut Polonais Paris, Arles, France, July 2025

Photo Fringe, Brighton, UK,
5 October- 17 November 2024

Arles, France
5 July 2024

Rethinking Eastern Europe, Photobook Cafe, London, UK, 21 May 2024

Features

Open magazine with article titled "A bigger East" showing a colorful photograph of a Coca-Cola box surrounded by cherry tomatoes on the left page, and a person with blonde hair wearing a patterned shirt, leaning over a potted plant on the right page.
Open magazine laid flat showing four photographs of women in various outfits and settings, along with an article quoting Zula Rabikowska about cultural diversity.
Excerpt from a book or article discussing a review and personal experience related to the Rethinking Eastern Europe project, mentioning a meet-and-greet at the Copeland Exhibition and shared cultural understanding between Eastern European countries.
A torn paper with an image of Boris Johnson, the former UK Prime Minister, partially visible through the tear. Text overlay reads '12 Contemporary Photographers Rethinking Eastern Europe' and 'Explore their work.'

A bigger east, British Journal of Photography, in print

12 Contemporary Photographers Rethinking Eastern Europe , Contemporary Lynx

Review of In The Space Between Words by Sophie Nowakowska

What is the heart of Europe?, Izba Arts

In The Space Between Words , Contemporary Lynx

‘In The Space Between Words’ @Copeland Gallery,Polish Cultural Institute London

In The Space Between Words at Copeland Gallery, Peckham ,Fast Forward

We recommend, Romanian Cultural Institute in London

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