GROTESK – The common language of Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe has been a geopolitical buffer zone for centuries and, as a result, the people who live here have had to learn to communicate by reading between the lines and laughing at their own impossible situations, giving rise to an unmistakably unique form of expression, the Eastern European grotesque.
Rather than focusing on the differences between the many peoples across the region – and the forgotten East–West divide left behind by the Cold War, which is becoming less and less relevant with globalization – the G.R.O.T.E.S.K photo project draws attention to what connects us. Through this publication and exhibitions in Czechia, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary in 2025, it highlights our common values by showcasing the best absurdist photographs from Eastern Europe!
The project is co-financed by the governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.
GROTESK – The common language of Eastern Europe
October 4–12, 2025
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Opening Event · October 4, 2025, 6:00 p.m.
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Artists ·
Hungary · Csilla Klenyánszki, Hórusz Archive (Sándor Kardos), Éva Szombat, László Török, Zsuzsi Uj
Czechia · Oskar Helcel, Dita Pepe, Iren Stehli
Slovakia · Andrej Balco, Martin Kollár, Zuzana Pustaiová, Viktor Šelesták
Poland · Zbigniew Libera, Natalia LL, Rafał Milach, Agnieszka Sejud
Romania · Mihai Barabancea, Tamás Hajdu
Ukraine · Alexander Chekmenev, Julie Poly
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Curators ·
István Virágvölgyi, Capa Center (Budapest, Hungary)
Sára Jeleňová, OFF Bratislava (Bratislava, Slovakia)
Světlana Malina, Fotograf Zone festival (Prague, Czech Republic)
Marta Szymańska, Fotofestiwal (Łódź, Poland)
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Venue · Holešovice Market, public space
(near Hall 24 on the Market Square side)
Bubenské nábř. 306, 170 00, Prague 7 Holešovice
Eda Babák – Babetta 207
On 18 June, Fotograf Zone Gallery will open Babetta 207, an exhibition by Eda Babák, a graduate of the Photography Studio F2 bachelor’s programme at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (UMPRUM).
Archive Sale of FOTOGRAF Magazine Issues
We're clearing space in our storage—and making sure you have something inspiring to read this summer.
PARADAJS PHOTO FEST 2026
The international festival of contemporary photography PARADAJS PHOTO FEST, which this year became a member of the International Photo Festival Association (IPFA), invites audiences to the opening of its third edition on 5 June 2026. Despite receiving critically low state funding compared to previous years, the organisers will bring 17 exhibitions to the historic town of Banská Štiavnica, featuring artists such as Roman Franc, Dežo Hoffmann, Štěpánka Stein, and Lena Jakubčáková. Visitors can look forward to unique site-specific installations and a rich accompanying programme. The festival opens with a launch weekend from 5–7 June and runs until 5 July 2026.