After the protests of 2020, many Belarusians found themselves in exile. Since February 24, 2022, the flow of forced emigrants has been joined by Ukrainians and Russians who refused to support Putin’s regime. Finding themselves in new countries, without a home and familiar living conditions, many emigrants are forced to take jobs far removed from their professional activities and passions. Such jobs often require full workweeks and sometimes 12-hour shifts, leaving no time for personal life, let alone creativity.

Life becomes a monotonous cycle where one day is indistinguishable from the next. However, when moving to a new country, a person carries with them their inner world, which can easily be lost during the process of "integration." A lack of knowledge about where to apply their skills, combined with a shortage of time and accessible platforms for self-expression, often leads to a loss of personal identity.

It is precisely for such people that we organized a free exhibition dedicated to photo and video art in exile — Light and Losses on Paper. This exhibition gives a voice to emigrants from Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia who, despite the challenges of their new lives, have preserved their vision of the world and managed to convey it through the lens of a camera.

Light and Losses on Paper is a story about the light of hope and losses, about the struggle against difficulties, and about the power of creativity that inspires those who have managed to preserve themselves and choose to move forward.