language: Polish, Ukrainian, English

“We must hope, we must make time for positive feelings, we must and we are allowed to have our moments of joy, if only because we can be together and support each other, wait for a better tomorrow. We invite you to capture that. During Fotofestiwal, can come and have a photo taken of you – individual, group, portrait, whatever you want. You can certainly be happy and smile for the photo!” Marcin Polak (artist and activist), Olga Kozlitina (Ukrainian photographer, who lives in Łódź) and Sashka Yeriomina (cultural events organizer) invite you to their open-air studio.

The invitation is addressed to everyone, especially to those who experienced migration. The idea for the project was born from conversations and meetings with refugees and migrants, who, in addition to the tragic experiences and emotions that come with them, often struggle with stereotypes. “There is a belief among a part of the society, and sometimes among refugees themselves, that in the situation in which they find themselves, they should not show joy or happiness in public,” Marcin Polak explains. Marcin, Olga and Sashka’s Open-Air Studio will be a safe place where, in defiance of stereotypes, there will be space for all sorts of emotions.  

Each person photographed in the Open-Air Studio will receive their photo via email.