Book Review Strajk Photographs by Rafał Milach Reviewed by Rob Hornstra "In times when the world is struggling with major challenges in the field of equality, identity and climate, resulting in polarising population groups and radicalising politics, you notice that photographers feel the urgency to play a significant role in this. And although these urgent societal themes are regularly covered in photo books, the vast majority of photographers seem not to realise that publishing a photo book hardly contributes to these discussions..."
Strajk
Photographs by Rafał Milach
JEDNOSTKA Gallery, Warsaw, Poland, 2021. 256 pp., 6½x8¼".
The following was originally submitted by Rob Hornstra to photo-eye as part of our annual Favorite Photobooks list.
In times when the world is struggling with major challenges in the field of equality, identity and climate, resulting in polarising population groups and radicalising politics, you notice that photographers feel the urgency to play a significant role in this. And although these urgent societal themes are regularly covered in photobooks, the vast majority of photographers seem not to realise that publishing a photobook hardly contributes to these discussions. Most books are published in small editions and bought by a small group of like-minded people. What is the essence of proclaiming a message if your audience is already thinking the same way? The awareness among photographers to get your work out there where you can really make a change is very low. And that is disappointing. My photo book of the year is a protest choice. Both within the world of photobooks and in the country where the work is made. My photobook of the year is a free newspaper.
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Rafal Milach unflinchingly documents the many fierce and vibrant demonstrations in his country Poland that are the result of the introduction of restrictive laws (f.e. on abortion) orchestrated by an incredibly conservative regime. Together with sixteen other photographers, he created the
Archive of Public Protests (APP), publishing newspapers that are distributed free of charge during the demonstrations. On the one hand, to reinforce the demonstrators and amplify their voice which is often ridiculed in the media. On the other hand, to become part of the demonstrations by means of large slogans that can be taken out and used in demonstrations. APP strengthens the power of the protesters, the demonstrations and, as a side effect, Magnum photographer Rafal Milach constantly draws international attention to the vicious and radicalising politics in his country.
As I understand that photo-eye and any photobook store cannot run a business by distributing free newspapers, I nominate the book
Strajk by Rafal Milach, a visual record of the protests that began across Poland in October 2020 and persisted in various forms over the ensuing months. Not only because of the content of the book and the ambitions of the author, but also because the design (by one of the best photo book designers of the moment, Ania Nałęcka) fits seamlessly with the urgency of the book.
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Rob Hornstra (Utrecht, The Netherlands) is a Dutch photographer and self-publisher. Currently he is working on 'The Europeans 2020-2030’, a long-term project on Europe in a time when Europe is under pressure. He also presents a live talkshow about photobooks in his hometown Utrecht.
