Duo Exhibition
»City of Gardens«
Elena Subach & Viacheslav Poliakov
Something should by all means be hidden, at least one undisclosed secret among the exhibited works, something meaningful to you, something only you would know about.’
Urban legend becomes the starting point for Ukrainian photographers Elena Subach’s and Viacheslav Poliakov’s (Foam Talents) exploration of the public and private spaces of Polish Katowice. Elena says she believes that the fall of the Soviet Union with the following process of post-industrialization have brought about the return of life led by superstition. In the modern microcosm of the former mining town, Viacheslav became interested in the seemingly random nature of urban transformation and the echoes of global and historical influence onto the local Silesian culture.
Subach and Poliakov are both based in Lviv and the focus of their experimental work with photography lies in the cultural space of Western Ukraine with its unpredictable urban environment, local myths and contemporary utopias. It’s also in the ties to their home in Lviv where their original interest about Silesia came from.
‘Almost every Polish family in Silesia has a grandmother from Ukraine – during WWII Polish Lviv was occupied by Russians, while German Silesia became Polish. Populations were forced to move as well. Adding to that the huge amount of modern migrants, we arrive at the topic of Silesia-Ukraine relations.’

Mar 2 — 17, 2019
Opening Reception: Friday, March 1, 7 pm
The artists will be present.
Liegnitzer Str. 34, 10999 Berlin
[Kreuzberg | Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg]
Opening hours: Wed – Sun 2 – 6 pm
Admission free