Zachęta – National Gallery of Art

curator: Michał Jachuła

The main theme of individual exhibition of Tomáš Rafa is polarisation of Polish society along ideological lines, a process that has been observed since 2010 and continues to deepen. Endowed with a keen eye for observation, the artist captures sensitive social issues through video and photography, focusing on those that resonate in the public sphere, particularly during demonstrations, rallies and marches — confrontations that often turn violent. Boldly venturing into the heart of these conflicts, he presents, as objectively as possible and without verbal commentary, the perspectives of different sides in the disputes: their understanding of patriotism, the refugee question, LGBTQ rights and women’s rights. Religion and its place in the Polish public sphere also emerge as key themes. Working within the realm of the visual arts — a space that affords far greater freedom of thought and expression than the images and narratives conveyed by television and other mainstream media — the artist portrays a society in crisis. Employing exclusively audiovisual techniques, he defines concepts such as dehumanisation, categorisation, xenophobia, racism and hate speech. At the same time, through his works and the resulting educational initiatives, he opens up opportunities for constructive dialogue between people with different views.

Tomáš Rafa (b. 1979, Žilina, Slovakia) — filmmaker, photographer and activist renowned for his work documenting contemporary socio-political phenomena. A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Banská Bystrica and the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, he currently runs a video documentary studio at the Faculty of Media Art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. His audiovisual works explore extreme situations related to nationalism, racism and xenophobia in Central and Eastern Europe, especially in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. In the spirit of documentary observation, he brings to light and reflects on events and situations that often remain absent from traditional news coverage.

His long-term project New Nationalism in the Heart of Europe has been shown in numerous exhibitions, including the 8th Yokohama Triennale (2024), The New Human at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm (2015), and Respect Existence or Expect Resistance at the Slovak National Gallery in Bratislava (2012), as well as in a solo exhibition New Nationalism at MoMA PS1 in New York (2017).

He curated the project Art Covers Politics at the 7th Berlin Biennale (2012). In 2011, he received the Oskár Čepan Award, Slovakia’s most prestigious award for artists, in recognition of his work.