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
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

