Curated by Zula Rabikowska, this event combines a group exhibition, film screenings and a panel discussion which will explore and rethink the meaning of "Eastern Europe" today. The event brings together 18 different artists from Poland, Romania, Russia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, UK, Moldova and Ukraine working with photography, moving image, sculpture and performance. 

Schedule 18:30 – 19:00 
Doors open 19:00 – 19:10 
Welcome 19:10 – 19:35 
Film Screenings 19:35 – 19:45 
Break 19:45 – 20:45 
Panel Discussion 20:45 – 21:00 
Questions 21:00 
Closing remarks + Mingle 

Exhibiting artists: Ania Ready Diana Serban Erika Nina Suárez Eve Gil Hanna-Katrina Jedrosz Ioana Marinca Kasia Ślesińska Katie McCraw Ksenia Kazintseva Laura Bivolaru Lina Ivanova Marcelina Amelia & Grupa Łono Nastassja Nefjodov Patricia Petersen Paulina Korobkiewicz Vera Hadzhiyska Viktoriia Hrytsa Zula Rabikowska

Zula Rabikowska is a London-based documentary photographer, whose work explores topics related to Eastern Europe, migration, identity, and LGBTQI+ communities.  Zula specialises in portraiture and often collaborates with artists, authors, creatives and musicians, and is dedicated to documenting queer communities globally.  Zula's work has been published by the Guardian, BBC, Dazed, Photomonitor,  BJP, Nonchalant Magazine, Gay Times and Diva Magazine. Amongst others, Zula is a recipient of the Centre for British Photography Grant, Getty Images Grant, Mead Fellowship and Robert Giard Grant. You can see more of Zula's work on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zula.ra/ and on her website https://zulara.co.uk/

Concentrating on elevating the everyday, William Green’s work pushes the traditional idea of documentary photography through a careful process of technical craft and thought where particular attention is paid to colour and quality of light. In a photographic landscape saturated with imagery his wish is to produce work of quality and craft, that has a lasting and memorable affect on its viewer. While playing on atmospheric ideas with a grander narrative at play. Titled ‘Three’ the project centres around three friends on a cycling trip in Switzerland, although it’s much about being off the bike than on it. Shot as a mix of stills and Super 16mm motion with a collection of films based around each person on their bike as well as a group piece.

The hostel interior is a low buzz of distant, overlapping sounds, the walls appear stained by time: soaking up years of blood, sweat and dirt. Under the constant atmosphere of violence, homeless hostel residents live side by side but in isolation. Seldom leaving his room and haunted by the spectre of the family he lost, Derek lives his life from moment to moment: without the safety nets most of us take for granted. Significant life choices –involving financial difficulties, mental and physical health – are always close to the surface.

Disconnected and abandoned, he navigates the space between the sedate daily routine of the hostel and his fierce, barely suppressed emotions.

God’s Promises Mean Everything is an intimate, long-term character portrait that extends over several years, but limits space to a single room. As the project progressed and rooms became uninhabitable, the initial notion of a ‘single’ space became less defined by the physical and instead transformed into a semi-fictionalised interior; one comprising a number of rooms that combine to create a single, imagined site featuring disorientating perversions of space and spatial impossibilities. Within this carefully constructed and claustrophobic world, the bed became a persistent symbol of a destructive daily cycle; a place of comfort and rest, but also a place from which one cannot escape.

In a collaboration spanning over six years, God’s Promises Mean Everything reveals the unsettling fragility in the connections that make up our everyday experience.

The book is to be published by Dewi Lewis Publishing on 9th May 2024.

Mark Chapman is an award-winning filmmaker and artist from North East, England. His work has been exhibited internationally across filmmaking and photography contexts. He recently completed work on God’s Promises Mean Everything (2024), an intimate photographic study of a hostel resident. His moving-image work has been selected for numerous prestigious film festivals including Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Edinburgh

International Film Festival, Uppsala International Film Festival, IKFF Hamburg, Sao Paulo. International Short Film Festival and Jihlava International Documentary Festival. He has a PhD in Film Practice and works as a Lecturer in Film Production at University of Greenwich.

Instagram: @markchapmanuk / Twitter: @markchapmanfilm

Suicide&Co | After Suicide Bereavement

Project Presentation and Q&A

The team’s passion for helping others deal with this specific type of grief comes from a variety of personal experience of losing a loved one to suicide. It all started with our co-founders, Amelia and Emma, who both lost a parent to suicide. With their entrepreneurial spirit and empathetic nature, this double act is determined to do things differently; providing the support needed whilst also opening up the conversation and addressing the stigma.

We strongly believe in the power of conversation and use a variety of initiatives to spark conversations and encourage open dialogues around bereavement from suicide and mental health more generally. In terms of the services we provide, we focus on one-on-one professional support through talking therapies offering our Counselling Service and Helpline that are staffed by bereavement counsellors.

There are also lots of resources on our website for you to explore that can support different aspects of your grief journey (e.g. books and podcast recommendations).

We’re glad you’ve found us and whatever your situation we hope we can support you today.

All welcome, no booking required.

The exhibition features the work of Sıla Yalazan, a photographer based in Turkey.

Flowers in Concrete, invites visitors to witness an archive of the resistance of children against government-backed gentrification in İstanbul and the subculture's "last" struggle against government policies in Turkey. The work of Sıla Yalazan, who finds inspiration in punk aesthetics, include portraits of immigrant children crammed inside İstanbul's Tarlabaşı district (where she has been documenting the ongoing gentrification since 2013), and photographs of the 2013 Gezi protests in Taksim, as well as LGBTQ marches held between 2013-2015. Additionally, two handmade books of these photographs by the Swedish artist Karl Larsson will be showcased. This exhibition is curated by Gül Demirdağ. 

IT’S A LONDON THING is a debut exhibition by George Carr

and Bea Dalley. The show will feature a collection of

photographs which represent the identity of both collaborators.

One being a music photographer and the other being a fashion

photographer. The collaborators shared love for London is what

brought them together and is what will be on show throughout

their imagery.

The photographer’s will be selling a limited number of zines and

t-shirts on the night in celebration of the exhibition.

Sounds provided by Happy Feet.

Social Media Handles: @bea.dalley @georgeccarr

Discover how to work with chance and observation to create unexpected and magical images using everyday household materials such as honey, butter or oil in combination with light sensitive photographic paper. The approach to image making can be as minimal or as intricate as you like.

About the Workshop: A day of experimental image making introducing a small group to a fascinating and more sustainable approach to photographic process.

Chemigram Process and Plant Developers: The Chemigram process occupies a space somewhere between painting and photography. In this workshop we will be using plant developers which are less toxic compared to the ordinary photographic developers.

Workshop Structure: The first part of the workshop will introduce you to the chemigram process with its history and examples of artists’ works, plus an introduction to the plant based developers. In the second part of the session you can spend time working with the process, ending the day with a whole group review. Group and individual support is given throughout the workshop.

All materials including photographic paper and chemistry will be provided. However, you are welcome to bring your own materials e.g exposed/expired photographic paper, plants, resists etc.

About Sayako Sugawara: I am a London based Japanese artist working with a variety of photographic processes, moving image and installation. The transformative quality of the different photographic processes fascinates me as it allows me to make associations and explore memory and imagination.

To find out more about my practice please visit my IG account.

Image Credits: As always ,a big thank you to the previous workshop participants for the use of their images. Andrea Morreau, David Batty and Jes and Jamie Rowan

In a series of passport-style portraits, participants were invited to ‘label’ themselves with a badge featuring a word or phrase they associate with. The project acts as an investigation into the constantly self-analysing ‘Gen-Z’, a generation raised online and with a desire to belong. The images appear from the past, however, upon reading the badge - often inscribed with modern internet-generation language - the time frame becomes ambiguous. SELF TITLED aims to analyse our relationship with text - how it alters our perception of others and how we use it to categorise ourselves.

Socials: @lilah.maii @jamie.uk

AT THE MATCH is a landmark photobook published by When Saturday Comes, the independent football magazine, to celebrate two decades of images captured by its team of photographers Simon Gill, Colin McPherson and Paul Thompson. The photography documents the matchday experience across the UK and Ireland, capturing the jubilation and despair of the game but more importantly the ritual of going to football, whether it’s in the Premier League or at grassroots level. The images reveal the game as it is experienced by those who participate in it, with a focus on the connection between clubs and their supporters. This approach is what makes the collection unrivalled and the photography unique, with the images telling stories of how and where we enjoy our football.

1-6pm - Open invitation; drop in to meet the photographers and view the basement gallery.

2-4pm: artist talks bookable via eventbrite, please book with WSC Magazine

7-10pm: Official launch of At The Match

Twitter: @WSC_magazine @dougcheese @germanocean @PaulWYI @simongillphoto Insta: @WSC_magazine @dougcheese @germanocean @paulthompson6511 @simongillphoto

Damian Platt grew up in Ladbroke Grove, West London. 'I Dream of Graffiti' features his photographs of graffiti and graffiti writers taken between 1987 and 2021 in London, Paris, Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Naples. Featured artists include Cazbee, Prime, Snatch, Oeno, Sor 6/Odem, OSGEMEOS, Anarkia and Vhils. The accompanying text is a reflection by the author.

Formed in 2020 by artists Anna Luk and Lucy Kane, Tied to Light is a collective that champions artists whose practices challenge the boundaries of photography through experimental approaches to image making.

Tied to Light Vol. 2 highlights the work of fourteen artists who delve into the tactile nature of photography, making visible its material properties that often go overlooked. Each artist brings a unique perspective to the discourse on the materiality of photography, redefining the traditional understanding of the medium and blurring the lines between image and object.

Through a diverse range of techniques and conceptual frameworks, these artists prompt contemplation on the interplay between image, surface, and representation, inviting us to question how we perceive and understand images.

Created by Lucy Kane & Anna Luk Foreword by Anna Luk Produced by Folium Publishing Edition of 100 Featured Artists: Lucy Bentham Rachelle Bussieres Lisa di Donato Flora Fanzutti Vladimir Florentin Hans Gindlesberger Samantha Jade Emily Margarit Mason Megan Ringrose Michael Skeen Amber Toplisek Andréa Vamos Daphne van de Velde Jon Verney.

@tiedtolightcollective @lucybentham @rachellebussieres @lisa.n.di.donato @lady.alchymia @vladimir.florentin @hanshanz @___samanthajade___ @emilymargaritmason @megan.ringrose @_mskns @ambertoplisek @andrea_vamos @daphnevandevelde @jonverney

"Sleepwalking" is an intriguing exploration of subconscious artistry captured through photography. It delves into the surreal landscapes of dreams, nightmares, and fleeting moments, inviting readers to question the boundaries between reality and imagination. Limited to just 50 copies, this book offers a unique glimpse into the hidden depths of the photographic subconscious.

Opening text from the book

“I used to sleepwalk quite often when I was growing up. I have a faint memory, about how I dreamed a monster towards a cliff was chasing me, and when I woke up from the nightmare, I found myself hanging from the edge of the bunk bed in my pajamas. I had several episodes where I would get out of bed and walk into the kitchen in the middle of the night, singing loudly as I opened cabinets and searched for something. I have now stopped sleepwalking (to my knowledge), but I still have my nightmares and dreams like everyone else. However, as a photographer, I have developed a habit that I can't quite explain but bears a resemblance to sleepwalking. I tend to pause and grab my phone to capture a photo of something that caught my interest, whether it's the interesting play of light or the way something was positioned that gave it a more abstract angle. But with this habit comes a downside, similar to sleepwalking. I often forget that I have taken these photos, just like how a sleepwalker may not remember their actions. I'll scroll through my camera roll and find photos that I have no recollection of taking, almost as if they were taken by someone else. It's a strange feeling like I am both the photographer and the viewer at the same time. Perhaps it's the same part of my brain that triggers my sleepwalking that causes me to take these photos without fully registering them in my memory. Or maybe it's just the subconscious desire to capture fleeting moments before they disappear into the abyss of forgetfulness. Whatever the reason, I find myself drawn to this habit, just like I was once drawn to the strange allure of sleepwalking. It's a reminder that our minds have a way of working in mysterious ways, both during our waking and sleeping moments.”

Ellen Kydd (b.1996) is an English artist whose practice considers the body in varying spaces. Having trained in Photography at Falmouth University (2015-18), later earning an MA in Fine Art at UCA (2019-21), Elle’s artwork meanders across mediums. Invariably performative in output, Elle’s work spans Photography, Movement, Publication, Drawing, Film-making & Painting. Theories of proprioception & Japanese concepts of space (ma 間, wa 和) underpin all of Elle’s artwork, as well as daily interactions with various people and spaces. 

Artist Ellen Kydd (Elle) releases their debut photo-book publication, Anima. Created over a sustained period in Florence and finalised in England, the book questions a selfie-saturated world whilst remaining light-hearted with the medium of traditional photobooth pictures. 

Anima (n) : A current of air, wind breeze; the vital principle, life, soul. 

Engagement is a significant factor in the formation of the series, Anima. Firstly, there is Elle’s desire to engage with the people of Florence, a city initially full of strangers to the English born Artist. The city’s embroilment in art and portraiture enthused Elle, who worked as a model for various painters, sculptors and visual artists, deepening an interest in understanding exactly what a portrait is - and where the agency lies in portraiture: is it with the sitter or the maker? 

As a portrait photographer, Elle began casting from the Florentine streets, instigating conversations that varied between a nod & smile to twenty minute exchanges. Instead of shooting on a handheld camera, Elle chose to be removed from the immediate set-up of the portrait, making use of the readily accessible photobooth/fotoautomatica as an apt medium. The participants sat in the photobooth, without external gaze, faced with a need to engage with their 'self' in order to express their anima. 

An interesting point, Elle notes, is how it was impossible to document the number of people who simply didn’t want to be seen; there were people who were happy to stay for a conversation, but not everyone was content to document their image. There were also those who were willing to join in, providing they shared the photobooth with a friend. These group shots are presented in the Anima publication as a hand-finished triple page spread. The ways in which couples & groups respond in the booth is curious in comparison with how the individuals might respond on their own. Elle queries whether this self-expression of anima is amplified more as individual portraits, or when interacting with another person? 

Wanting to emphasise the significance of engagement, Elle has hand-finished each publication. With inserted photobooth strips, posters, crayon marks, doodles, old Italian papers and fold-out spreads; the experience of turning the pages of Anima is very tactile. These hand-finished touches mean no two books are the same; they are each entirely individual. This is not accidental. Elle emphasises how each of us is entirely individual, in any given moment: we each contain our own anima, which shifts indefinitely. 

The book Anima is designed and hand-finished by Ellen Kydd; and published by 0.08 Imprints, an independent publishing house based in Salford, England.

PHOTOBOOKCAFE

4 Leonard Circus, London EC2A 4DQ

Join us on Monday evenings for our Photo Zine Club.

Teaming up with shrimpzineclub we wanted to make an event that was accessible to everyone and not under a workshop style umbrella.

Using Shrimp zine technology we wanted to make a drop in style event where you can hang out, chat zines and also make one too! All you need is a smart phone and access to the internet! shrimpzineclub is a free mobile web app accessible on any touch screen device. It has been designed to make zine making more accessible!

We are now also letting you bring laptops and you can make zines using Canva online, or Indesign/photoshop.

This is all about really simple zine making that’s fun and easy! No long editing process. Just fun photographs that have maybe been on your phone too long!

Please note that the gallery space has stair access only. If this is an issues for you and you would like to join, please let us know.

Tickets: £25, this fee includes 2 zines, if you want extra copies then it's £2 for Black and White and £3 for colour.

TO FIND OUT MORE: info@photobookcafe.co.uk