Opening of the exhibition GROTESK – The Common Language of Eastern Europe with a guided tour
We invite you to the opening of the international exhibition GROTESK – The Common Language of Eastern Europe, which presents the grotesque as a shared language across Eastern Europe. The project brings together photographers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Ukraine, highlighting how absurd, tragicomic, and bizarre elements have become an integral part of our cultural expression.
The opening will include a guided tour with the curators, who will introduce the exhibition’s concept and the broader context of the G.R.O.T.E.S.K. project. Developed in collaboration with partner festivals in Prague, Bratislava, Łódź, and Budapest, the project will connect several European cities throughout 2025.
The exhibition reflects the region’s history, its collective experiences, and the humor that has long served as a defense against the uncertainties and upheavals of history. In the spirit of the Kafkaesque tradition, the grotesque offers insight into the absurdity of everyday life and shows that through exaggeration and irony we discover a common language.
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.
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
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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.