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DESCENT INTO THE MARSH


Installation and book based on the photographic documentation of the protest project 


 

LIMINARIUM. Performensk at PlatformB. . Theaterhaus / Stuttgart, Germany. 2023



Every Day. Art. Solidarity. Resistance. Gallery Mystetskyi Arsenal / Kyiv, Ukraine. 2021



Published in late 2024, just before Belarus’s 2025 elections, it highlights ongoing repression, with thousands of political prisoners and around a million people forced to flee. The author connects the protests in Belarus and Hong Kong as examples of modern resistance shaped by digital control and China's geopolitical influence.

The seven chapters, illustrated with photographs from Belarus and Hong Kong, explore common tactics and symbols: gestures of unity, the symbolic use of colour, and objects such as umbrellas that represent protection and resilience. Artistic expressions, such as Hong Kong's Lennon Walls and Belarusian courtyards, highlight grassroots creativity and the importance of ephemeral protest spaces. The leaderless, decentralised nature of both movements highlights their adaptability. Hong Kong's "Be Water" strategy and Belarus's horizontal organising emphasise collective action while evading authoritarian crackdowns.

The book also examines the exchange of repressive practices between the regimes in China and Belarus, focusing on the role of surveillance technologies. The combination of modern surveillance with traditional methods of intimidation points to the evolving challenges facing protest movements.

While neither movement achieved its immediate political goals, both left a lasting impact on cultural and societal transformation. "Descent into the Marsh" is a visual document of protest that highlights the universal human quest for freedom and dignity. The book functions as an open archive, regularly updated with new media articles and reflections on ongoing struggles, providing a lasting record of unfinished events that remain unblocked and uncensored online. 





ISBN 978-3-00-081038-1

AUTHOR : Lesia Pcholka
EDITOR : Black Seeds in Hong Kong
CURATOR : Katarzyna Zielinska / zusa gGmbH
DESIGN : Karolina Pietrzyk, Tobias Wenig
EDITION : 250 copies  



where to

BUY BOOK


︎︎︎ Skaryna Press (online)

︎︎︎ Galeria Arsenał. Bialystok, Poland

︎︎︎ Hopscotch. Berlin, Germany

︎︎︎ Bęc Zmiana. Warsaw, Poland + online