first exhibition at the kickplate gallery under new management

Hi everyone,

We just wanted to let you all know that the first exhibition in the kickplate gallery, after its adoption, will open this Friday, the 28th Feb at 18:30. You can read more about what's happening at the gallery on their facebook page

"Open Lens" will feature a collection of photographs by a group of Welsh and international photographers submitted to the gallery's open call. The gallery will be open Thursday to Saturday 11:00-17:00 till the 28th of March.

Please show them as much support as you showed us!!

introducing 'dall'Esterno' artists: Migle Backovaite

Migle Backovaite is a Lithuanian photographer based in London. 

She uses a wide range of cameras and techniques, working with both film and digital. Migle works professionally as a photographer, specialising in art, fashion and portraiture.

In her work, she explores a variety of themes, with a particular focus on the individuality of her models and on how the interaction with her subjects affects her as an artist and as a person:

"I like creating an image of the self that is not yet known, the self that is full of mysticism and intrigue. I like exploring the darker side of the moon as well as the hidden parts of the human nature. Through photography I get to know myself."

Migle's style is characterised by a taste for surreal imagery as well as theatrical and symbolic representations. 

In her landscape photography, Migle creates images that are contemplative and dream-like in their in their composition and the use of colours, and it’s the genre she says she enjoys the most:

"In landscapes I find myself. There is no need to analyse, interpret, or understand, the creation is in front of me, pure and clear, even though ever-changing but beautiful forever."

You can see the variety of Migle's work in her portfolio and on her Facebook page.

dall'Esterno - Italian info

Here's some Italian info about our new exhibition that opens on the 7th of March in Portico340 in Naples. A big thanks to Silvia for her help with the translation!

“dall’Esterno” è una mostra di fotografia d’arte dall’Europa orientale a cura di Zosia Krasnowolska, organizzata a Napoli da the*kickplate*project.

Il titolo, “dall’Esterno”, è un gioco di parole che fa riferimento all’attitudine dell’Europa occidentale verso i suoi vicini d’Est.

Per quanto rigaurda la sua definizzione, l’unico fatto assodato sull’Europa orientale è che si trova nella parte orientale del continente europeo. Quali paesi ci appartengano, comunque, è molto più difficile ad accertare.

Secondo il Thesaurus Multilingue dell'Unione Europea, l’Europa orientale comprende: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bielorussia, Bosnia-Erzegovina, Bulgaria, Croazia, Repubblica Ceca, Georgia, Ungheria, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Polonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovacchia, Slovenia ed Ucraina.

Secondo il CIA World Factbook, l’Europa orientale comprende Moldova, Ucraina, Bielorussia, Lituania, Lettonia ed Estonia, e l’Europa sudorientale include Romania, Bulgaria ed i Balkani.

All’interno dell’Europa orientale c’è poco consenso sulla definizione culturale o persino sulle sue frontiere geografice. Tanti peasi visti nell’occidente come tali, si definirebbero piuttosto come paesi d’Europa del centro, nord o sud, la questione dell’identità e più ampia perché coinvolge anche altri aspetti quali il patrimonio culturale e storico e cambiamenti di carattere geografico.

Nell’Occidente, però, l’est d’Europa tende ad essere visto come un’area omogena, una fonte di lavoratori domestici mal pagati e il sottofondo dei problemi sociali, economici e politici. Questa percezione dell’Europa orientale e degli suoi abitanti scatrurisce dall’ignoranza, spesso rinforzata dalla rappresentazione sensazionalista dei media. Molto spesso, artisti dall’Europa orientale non sono rilevati e non godono l’attenzione che si meritano.  

Lo scopo della nostra mostra è presentare l’Europa orientale, o quello che è visto come l’Europa orientale, da una prospettiva diversa, quella di fotografia d’arte. Presenteremmo sette artiste: Migle Backovaite (Lituania), Mariya Kozhanova (Kaliningrad), Sonia Firlej (Polonia), Yulia Kazban (Russia), Marina Frolova (Ucraina), Alexandra Soman (Romania) e Stanka Koleva (Bulgaria), che usano una varietà di tecniche fotografiche e di stampa e rappresentano  diverse varietà di style. Hanno tutte participato in progetti fotografici diversi; alcune di loro vivono in loro paesi d’origine e altre si sono trasferite in Europa occidentale; non tutte si guadagnano da vivere come artiste.

L’intento della mostra è quello di spingere il pubblico a riflettere sulle loro idee di geografia, identità, loro e dei loro vicini. 

PS The exhibition is organised in an art cafe Portico 340 who kindly let us use their space free of charge.  However, we still have to meet the cost of prints and posters, so if any of you could be so kind and donate through our blog, we'd be very grateful. We'll be happy to offer prints of our photos (Dafydd's and Zosia's) up to 12" by 10" in return, they would arrive to you in June after our return from Italy. Thanks in advance!

dall'Esterno - more info

“dall’Esterno” is an exhibition of fine art photography from Eastern Europe curated by Zosia Krasnowolska and organised by the*kickplate*project in Naples, Italy. 

The title, “dall’Esterno”, literally means “from the outside”; however, it is also a game of words as the word “Est” means “East” in Italian.

 The only generally established fact is that Eastern Europe is the Eastern part of the European continent. However, which countries belong to it is much more difficult to define. 

According to the Multilingual Thesaurus of the European Union, Eastern Europe includes: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.

According to CIA World Factbook, Eastern Europe covers Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and Southeastern Europe covers Romania, Bulgaria and the Balkans.  

Within Eastern Europe itself there seems to be little consensus about its cultural definition and or even geographical borders. Many countries seen in the West as such would describe themselves rather as Central, Northern or Southern European, and it is as much a question of identity as cultural heritage and historical or geographical facts.

In the West, however, it tends to be seen as a homogenous area, mostly a source of cheap domestic workers and the background of social, economic and political problems. This perception of Eastern Europe and its inhabitants stems from ignorance, often enforced by its sensationalist portrayal by the media. Eastern European artists are often overlooked and do not get the focus they deserve.

The aim of our exhibition is to show Eastern Europe, or what is seen as Eastern Europe, from a different perspective, that of fine art photography. We’re going to present seven artists: Migle Backovaite (Lithuania), Mariya Kozhanova (Kaliningrad), Sonia Firlej (Poland), Yulia Kazban (Russia), Marina Frolova (Ukraine), Alexandra Soman (Romania) and Stanka Koleva (Bulgaria), who use a variety of photographic and printing techniques and represent a variety of styles. They have all participated in different photographic projects; some of them live in their countries of origin and some of them have moved to Western Europe; not all of them make their living as artists.

We hope that the exhibition will prompt our audience to reflect upon their ideas about geography and identity, theirs and their neighbours’. 

PS The exhibition is organised in an art cafe Portico 340 who kindly let us use their space free of charge.  However, we still have to meet the cost of prints and posters, so if any of you could be so kind and donate through our blog, we'd be very grateful. We'll be happy to offer prints of our photos (Dafydd's and Zosia's) up to 12" by 10" in return, they would arrive to you in June after our return from Italy. Thanks in advance!

dall'Esterno - an exhibition of Eastern European photography in Naples, Italy

An exhibition of Eastern European photography, "dall'Esterno", is opening on the 7th of March in Portico340, Naples, Italy, presenting 7 Eastern European photographers: Mariya Kozhanova, Yulia Kazban, Sonia Firlej, Stanka Koleva, Migle Backovaite, Alexandra Soman and Marina Frolova.

more info coming soon!

PS Check out the page of the group of artists who have adopted our gallery in Abertillery!

They have an open call for their first show, you can submit up to 3 photos and the deadline is the 14th of February. Good luck :)