VEHA
— an independent archive that merges artistic and research activities based on photography created before 1980 on the territory of modern Belarus. Our mission is to preserve and understand the visual history of everyday life — the invisible history that rarely finds its way into textbooks.
The VEHA archive is digital, which means we have no geographical boundaries. VEHA is a horizontal memory institute. If our ideas resonate with you, feel free to send us scanned photographs from your family archives, participate in exhibitions and book publications, or contribute articles.
— незалежны архіў, які аб'ядноўвае мастацкую і даследчую дзейнасць. Мы працуем з фатаграфіяй, зробленай да 1980-га года на тэрыторыі сучаснай Беларусі. Наша мэта — захаваць і зразумець візуальную гісторыю паўсядзённасці, тую нябачную гісторыю, якая рэдка трапляе ў падручнікі.
Архіў VEHA з’яўляецца лічбавым, таму мы не маем геаграфічных межаў. VEHA — гэта гарызантальны інстытут памяці. Калі вам блізкія нашы ідэі: дасылайце адсканаваныя фотаздымкі са сваіх сямейных архіваў, далучайцеся да выстаў і выданняў кніг ці прапануйце артыкулы.
We are open to collaboration and sharing our experience with academics, students, curators and artists on the following topics: self-organized archives, decolonization, and the study of everyday life in Belarus. Contact us :
archive.veha@gmail.com
Мы адкрытыя для супрацы і абмену вопытам з навукоўцамі, студэнт_к_амі, куратар_к_амі, маста_к_амі ў наступных тэмах: самаарганізаваныя архівы, дэкаланізацыя і даследаванне паўсядзённасці Беларусі. Пішыце :
archive.veha@gmail.com
︎︎︎ digital archive
Стварэнне лічбавага фотаархіва – для захавання візуальнай гісторыі Беларусі
︎︎︎ working with artists
Супраца з мастакамі і куратарамі – арганізацыя выставачных праектаў
︎︎︎ book publishing
Супраца з акадэмічным асяродкам – публікацыя даследчых тэкстаў і выданне кніг
VEHA archive
Independent Civil Photo Archive
The invention of photography had a huge impact on the way facts and events are documented. Archival photography helps to understand and interpret the visual history of places and communities, which leads to empowering ties between community members.
The VEHA Archive’s team is working on creating an alternative mechanism for maintaining the segments of Belarusian history. VEHA Archive the publicly open photo archive that systematically carries out cross-disciplinary research on everyday life and the visual history of Belarus. The process of gathering photos is bottom-up and collective: VEHA uses a thematic open-call format for getting digital copies of pictures located in the family archives of Belarusians. Until today, over 2,000 individuals contributed photos from their private archives.
At the moment there are five thematic collections: The Best Side (Najlepšy bok); The Girls’ Night (Dziavočy viečar); The Last Photo (Apošni fotazdymak); People of Forest (Ludzi Lesu) and Runes of Belarus (Riny Belarusi). Besides that, VEHA constantly organizes exhibitions and encourages contemporary artists to dig into and work on archival materials.
Адкрыццё мастацтва фатаграфіі аказала вялікі ўплыў на дакументаванне падзей. Архіўная фатаграфія – гэта дакумент, яна дапамагае зразумець і інтэрпрэтаваць гісторыю гарадоў і пэўных груп, спрыяе пашырэнню сувязяў паміж чальцамі супольнасцяў.
Каманда архіву працуе над стварэннем альтэрнатыўнага механізму захавання фрагментаў беларускай гісторыі. VEHA гэта публічна адкрыты фотаархіў, які сістэматычна праводзіць міждысцыплінарныя даследаванні гісторыі штодзённасці і візуальнай гісторыі Беларусі. Працэс збору фатаграфій адбываецца гарызантальна і калектыўна. Онлайн, праз open-call збіраюцца толькі лічбавыя копіі тэматычных здымкаў з сямейных архіваў. На сённяшні дзень больш за 2.000 чалавек даслалі VEHA фатаграфіі для пяці тэматычных калекцый: Найлепшы бок (Najlepšy bok); Дзявочы вечар (Dziavočy viečar); Апошні фотаздымак (Apošni fotazdymak); Людзі лесу (Ludzi Lesu) і Руны Беларусі (Riny Belarusi). Акрамя даследчай працы, VEHA ладзіць выставы і запрашае сучасных мастакоў_к і куратараў_к для стварэння мастацкіх прац на падставе архіўнага фотаматэрыялу.
BOOKS
2022 – Ludzi Lesu, VEHA Archive. ISBN 978-83-65133-44-1
2021 – Dziavočy viečar, VEHA Archive. ISBN 987-985-7209-75-0
2021 – Apošni fotazdymak, VEHA Archive. ISBN 987-985-7209-76-7
2018 – Najlepšy bok, VEHA Archive. ISBN 978-985-7165-83-4
EXHIBITIONS
2024
– Ruins of Belarus: Uladzimir Hramovich / curated by Katharina von Hagenow. UQBAR (Berlin, Germany)
– Flashes of time – Belarusian photography books and zines / curated by Olga Mzhelskaya. Fotofestiwal Lodz (Lodz, Poland)
– Belarusische Kultur unter Druck : Lesia Pcholka / curated by Laura Worsch. SomoS Arts (Berlin, Germany)
2023
– We’ll Hold a Wedding on Your Graves. Beyond VEHA Photographic Archive : Kate Ngan Wa Ao · Rozalina Busel · Uladzimir Hramovich · Georg Jagunov · Olga Anna Markowska · Lesia Pcholka · Katarzyna Sienkiewicz / curated by Vera Zalutskaya. Copenhagen Photo Festival (Copenhagen. Danmark)
– LET IT SHINE. Beyond VEHA Photographic Archive : Kate Ngan Wa Ao · Rozalina Busel · Olga Anna Markowska · Lesia Pcholka · Katarzyna Sienkiewicz / curated by Vera Zalutskaya. MOS. Municipal Art Center (Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland)
– VEHA archive. Konstepidemin : Lesia Pcholka / curated by Denis Romanovski and Mona Wallström (Gothenburg, Sweden)
2022 – Belarusian female artists. Dialog between the generations : Lesia Pcholka / curated by Maya Hristova and Jewgeni Roppel. Gallery KVOST (Berlin, Germany)
2021 – Festival SPRAVA. Museum of the Belarusian Folk Art / curated by Maxim Shumilin (Raubichi, Belarus)
2019
– Wieczór panieński [Dziavochi Vechar] : Lesia Pcholka / curated by Marta Przybyło. FAF Gallery / Fundacja Archeologia Fotografii (Warsaw, Poland)
– Dziavočy viečar: Lesia Pcholka / curated by Lizaveta Michalchuk. KX Space (Brest, Belarus)
– Heritagization. Gallery 54, Konstepidemin. Project STATUS / curated by Alina Dzeravianka (Sweden, Gothenburg)
– Tam gdzie Teraz: Lesia Pcholka / curated by Waldemar Tatarczuk. Galeria Labirynt (Lublin, Poland)
2018 – Month of Photography in Minsk The Ў Gallery / curated by Lesia Pcholka (Minsk, Belarus)
2017 – Month of Photography in Minsk. Gallery Canteen XYZ / curated by Anna Bundeleva (Minsk, Belarus)
AWARDS
2024
– I place. Michal Anempadystaw Prize. PEN Belarus. VEHA's book "Ludzi Lesu", nominated for the best book cover. Designer Jana Galushkina, curator Lesia Pcholka
2022
– Shortlist for the Michal Anempadystaw Prize. PEN Belarus/ VEHA's book "Apošni fotazdymak", nominated for best book cover. Designer Sasha Luchyna, curator Lesia Pcholka
2018
– Shortlist. RADA Awards. VEHA project "The Best Side" is nominated in the category "Youth Initiative / Cultural Conservation Project". Project coordinator Lesia Pcholka
– III place "Publication of the Year". IMF Award, Month of Photography in Minsk. The VEHA book "The Best Side". Curator Lesia Pcholka
– Shortlist. Michal Anempadystaw Prize. PEN Belarus. VEHA's book "The Best Side," nominated for best cover. Designer Sasha Luchyna, curator Lesia Pcholka
- I place Biz4all for the VEHA "Family Book" project. ODB Brussels (Belgium) in partnership with TNU Network University (Netherlands). Course author Lesia Pcholka
2017
– II place "Exhibition / photo project of the year" VEHA "The Best Side". IMF Award, Month of Photography in Minsk. Curator Anna Bundeleva, project coordinator Lesia Pcholka
Selected EVENTS
23.03.2024 – Workshop・Paper flowers making "Mourning Morning". POP-UP Copenhagen (Copenhagen. Danmark) led by Rozalina Busel
23.03.2024 – Post-Soviet Archives As a Tool for Decolonisation. Case Study of the VEHA Archive. CPH:DOX (Copenhagen. Danmark). Participants: Katrine Stevnhøj, Vera Zalutskaya, Volha Samusevich
19.07.2019 – Spotkanie z uczestniczkami grupy artystycznej VEHA. FAF Gallery. Fundacja Archeologia Fotografii (Warsaw, Poland) Participants: Lesia Pcholka, Olga Gritcuk
13.09.2019 – Photo archive as a tool of memory culture. Ulej (Minsk, Belarus). Participants: Alexander Dalhouski, Alexey Bratochkin, Lidiya Mikheeva, Andrey Mastyka, Olga Romanova
26.05.2019 – Lecture-workshop "Family archive". KX Space (Brest, Belarus) led by Lesia Pcholka
02.11.2018 – Presentation of the VEHA book "Najlepšy bok". PUNKT (Minsk, Belarus). Participants: Lesia Pcholka, Volga Labacheuskaya, Alexander Stepanov, Lyavon Morozov
12.03.2018 – The Corps says: a series of non-boring lectures. Korpus (Minsk, Belarus) led by Lesia Pcholka
15.06.2017 – Presentation of the VEHA archive. Month of Photography in Minsk. Gallery Canteen XYZ (Minsk, Belarus) Participants: Anna Bundeleva, Lesia Pcholka, Vadzim Urublieŭski
Selected PUBLICATIONS / INTERVIEW
23.03.2024 – Post-Soviet Archives As a Tool for Decolonisation. Case Study of the VEHA Archive. CPH:DOX (Copenhagen. Danmark). Participants: Katrine Stevnhøj, Vera Zalutskaya, Volha Samusevich
