IN THE SPACE BETWEEN WORDS (12 – 16 March 2025, Copeland Gallery) brought together an expanded group of Rethinking Eastern Europe artists, further broadening the perspectives within our collective.
Curated by @zula.ra & @verahadzhiyska, with new voices, new works, and an even greater diversity of mediums, the exhibition offered deeper reflections on belonging, evolving cultural narratives, and the fluidity of national identity in a rapidly changing world.
As part of the exhibition, I shared my exploration of memory, possessions, and place through my Time Capsule series. I showcased a selection of new images, created in Romania during my self-directed artist residency in Modelu, Călărași in 2024, alongside a textile installation. Together, these works examine the emotional weight objects carry and their role in preserving personal and family histories.
About the exhibition
Through a dynamic mix of media, including video, installation, photography, sculpture and performance, the exhibition explores the complexities of identity, history, religion and geopolitical shifts that have shaped Eastern Europe. The works in this show engage with both the visible and invisible boundaries that define the region, questioning notions of division, belonging, heritage and transformation. By highlighting the area’s rich cultural diversity and its ongoing reinvention, the exhibition encourages a broader dialogue about the fluidity of national and cultural identities in a rapidly changing world.
The themes resonate both globally and within local communities in South East London. While the exhibiting artists work on different topics, interrogating a plethora of ideas through distinct visual languages, audiences are invited to reflect on the power of unity and diversity in shaping our collective future.
Curators Vera Hadzhiyska and Zula Rabikowska say of the exhibition:
“In today’s world, with ever-shifting socio-political landscapes, it is important to bring communities of creative practitioners together, to cross both imaginative and actual borders, to celebrate our differences and similarities in perspectives and lived experiences. In curating ‘In the Space Between Words’ we challenge and revitalise existing stereotypes that reduce “Eastern” Europe into a homogenous bloc. We want to show the intricate complexity and diversity of the region.”
Artists
Arti Siudem (Poland): @artisiudem
Diana Serban (Romania): @battlegrounds19
Eve Gil (Poland/Wales): @eve.g.design
Filip Gesse (Poland): @filipjangesse
Grupa Łono (Poland): @grupalono
Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz (UK): @hannakatrina_photo
Ioana Marinca (Romania/UK): @ioanamarincaphoto
Ismail Khokon (Poland/UK): @ismaildiverse
Karla Šavrtková (Slovakia): @karlasavrtkova
Katerina Kouzmitcheva (Belarus/Poland): @katerina_kouzmitcheva
Katie McCraw (UK/Bosnia & Herzegovina): @katiemccraw
Ksenia Kazintseva (Ukraine/Russia): @essentialaspects
Laura Bivolaru (Romania): @laura_bivolaru
Lăcră Grozăvescu (Romania): @lacra.grozavescu
Lina Ivanova (Bulgaria): @linavanova
Marcelina Amelia (Poland): @marcelinaamelia
Maria Gvardeitseva (Belarus) @maria.gvard
Nastassja Nefjodov (Russia/Germany): @nnefjodov
Patricia Petersen (Poland/Denmark): @patriciaisabel
Paulina Korobkiewicz (Poland): @pakropka
Roxana Savin (Romania): @roxana.n.savin
Vera Hadzhiyska (Bulgaria): @verahadzhiyska
Zsuzsanna Ida Papp (Slovakia/Hungary): @papp_ida_zsuzsanna
Zula Rabikowska (Poland): @zula.ra
Features
About Copeland Gallery
Copeland Gallery is one of the most sought-after contemporary gallery venues available to hire in Peckham. A spacious, flexible 4,200 sq ft space, it celebrates its industrial period features with whitewashed walls and striking exposed concrete floors.
Established in 2013, Copeland Gallery has been a key contributor to the rise of Peckham’s art scene, housing hundreds of solo shows, group exhibitions and private views. Past clients include Es Devlin, Hannah Barry, Wilfrid Wood, V&A, Peckham 24, UAL, among others.
Let's connect!
Find us on Instagram @re.thinking.eastern.europe.
Again, special thanks to @zula.ra and @verahadzhiyska for their wonderful curatorial work.
Image in the visual by © Zsuzsanna Ida Papp, @papp_ida_zsuzsanna
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