What shapes us? What makes us who we are? And where do we actually come from? The question of origins touches the past and the present at the same time.

Anna Solecka asks these questions with her camera. Without formal training or studies, she finds images that reveal not only her sense of composition, but also of the contemporary issues of a young generation struggling with what defines their country. Anna’s images of her immediate surroundings reveal the fractures in society and between generations: aspirations for a tolerant and diverse way of life are shown against a backdrop of oppressive traditionalism and the conservative mentality visible, among other manifestations, in spaces dominated by decor from the socialist era.

In Homeland, Anna provides insights into her everyday life, as well as of her circle of friends, growing up with the contradictions in Polish society, and not only between rural and urban. Longing for a more diverse society open to different ways of life, Anna searches for her personal path. She chooses motifs that are equal parts depressing and cheerful. Anna brings us into a period of acute self-doubt, fears about the future, and questions about our place in the world. It is also a time when we have to be as honest with ourselves as ever before.

This exhibition is part of the ShowOFF Section of Krakow Photomonth.

Anna Solecka (b. 2002, Olkusz) comes from a small town near Krakow. She primarily works with reportage and portrait photography. Her main medium is analogue photography, with her practice extending to digital, as well as music and multimedia projects. In her photographs, she aims to capture everyday life through her own observations and thoughts, interpersonal relationships, and psychosocial mechanisms. Symbolism plays an important role, manifesting as a key element in her work.