BY . LESIA PČOŁKA
EN . LESIA PCHOLKA
PL . LESIA PCZOŁKA
email me:
les.pcholka@gmail.com
Lesia Pcholka is a visual artist born in Belarus,
currently lives and works in Berlin/DE
︎︎︎
Founder and curator of the VEHA archive
Pcholka’s work bridges archival practice and social transformation, using photography, video, and installations to examine undocumented histories. She is particularly interested in collective memory, especially how official historical narratives interact with undocumented histories of the pre-Soviet past and everyday life. Her work reflects on contemporary social issues and navigates political trauma, often using community archives to uncover layered stories in the public and private consciousness.
BOOK
2024 – DESCENT INTO THE MARSH. Belarus and Hong Kong ISBN 978-3-00-081038-1
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 – Heavier than Air. MOS (Municipal Art Center). Curated by Zofia nierodzińska / Gorzów Wielkopolski, PL
2024 – Great Stone. Hoast artist-run space. Curated by Ekaterina Shapiro-Obermair and Wolfgang Obermair / Vienna, AT
2022 – Weakness Street. Günter Grass Gallery. Curated by Anna Łazar / Gdańsk, PL
2016 – Visual Diary. National Centre of Contemporary Arts / Minsk, BY
BIO
Photographic background : From 2009 to 2013, Lesia Pcholka worked as a photographer and collaborated with independent Belarusian media. In 2018-2020 she was a member of the Belarusian Association of Photographers. Pcholka's photographs have been published in various media outlets, including the BBC, MOMA, Magnum, EIKON #123, BLOK, Magazynie RTV, The Calvert Journal, book NO.10 Sputnik Photos, GUP Magazine, The Strike Newspaper #5
Research background : In 2017, she founded VEHA Archive, a platform dedicated to the research and preservation of vernacular archival photography, recognising it as a key element of Belarusian visual history and cultural heritage. In 2020-2021 she taught the course "Visual History of Everyday Life" at the European College of Liberal Arts in Belarus. In 2021-2024 she was a mentor in the Social Camp educational project. Pcholka's has lectured at institutions such as the Archeology of Photography Foundation, European Humanities University, Memorial, CISR e. V. Berlin. She is the curator of publications of the VEHA archive : Ludzi Lesu. 2022 (ISBN 978-83-65133-44-1), Dziavočy viečar, 2021 (ISBN 987-985-7209-75-0), Apošni fotazdymak, 2021 (ISBN 987-985-7209-76-7), Najlepšy bok, 2018 (ISBN 978-985-7165-83-4). Pcholka's research have been published in pARTisanka magazine #34, book FROM THE FOLDINGS #0, Hjärnstorm magazine #156, CISR e.V. Berlin platform.
RESIDENCES & SCHOLARSHIPS
2025 – Gaude Polonia, NCK. Arsenal Gallery / Bialystok, PL
Lesia Pcholka graduated from the Minsk Innovation University (2017) with a degree in Social Psychology and participated in several international education programs, including: Biz4all, TNU Network University and ODB Brussels (2016 - 2017); ArtPlatform, European Cultural Foundation (2018 - 2019); MATCH, Adam Mickiewicz Institute (2019); Creative Enterprise, Nesta (2018); Sputnik Photos Mentoring Programme (2020); The East-European School of Political Studies (2020 - 2021); My Family's Heritage: How to Understand and Preserve It. European Humanities University (2025).
Photographic background : From 2009 to 2013, Lesia Pcholka worked as a photographer and collaborated with independent Belarusian media. In 2018-2020 she was a member of the Belarusian Association of Photographers. Pcholka's photographs have been published in various media outlets, including the BBC, MOMA, Magnum, EIKON #123, BLOK, Magazynie RTV, The Calvert Journal, book NO.10 Sputnik Photos, GUP Magazine, The Strike Newspaper #5
Research background : In 2017, she founded VEHA Archive, a platform dedicated to the research and preservation of vernacular archival photography, recognising it as a key element of Belarusian visual history and cultural heritage. In 2020-2021 she taught the course "Visual History of Everyday Life" at the European College of Liberal Arts in Belarus. In 2021-2024 she was a mentor in the Social Camp educational project. Pcholka's has lectured at institutions such as the Archeology of Photography Foundation, European Humanities University, Memorial, CISR e. V. Berlin. She is the curator of publications of the VEHA archive : Ludzi Lesu. 2022 (ISBN 978-83-65133-44-1), Dziavočy viečar, 2021 (ISBN 987-985-7209-75-0), Apošni fotazdymak, 2021 (ISBN 987-985-7209-76-7), Najlepšy bok, 2018 (ISBN 978-985-7165-83-4). Pcholka's research have been published in pARTisanka magazine #34, book FROM THE FOLDINGS #0, Hjärnstorm magazine #156, CISR e.V. Berlin platform.
Lesia Pcholka's works are part of the collections of the IoDeposito Gallery (Italy), Günter Grass Gallery (Poland), Mochnarte Foundation (Poland) and private collections in Belarus and Germany.
LINKS
– KALEKTAR platform. Platform on Belarusian Contemporary Art
– PlatformB. Place for artists in exile. Germany
– ANTIWARCOALITION.ART international platform for cultural workers against the war
RESIDENCES & SCHOLARSHIPS
2025 – Gaude Polonia, NCK. Arsenal Gallery / Bialystok, PL
2023 – IASPIS. The International Artists Studio Program / Stockholm, SE
2022 – Q21. MuseumsQuartier / Vienna, AT
2021
– ICORN. Gallery Günter Grass / Gdansk, PL
– Brno AIR. House of Arts / Brno, CZ
2019
– SOUND iD project. Ukrainian Cultural Foundation / Slavska, UA
– Gaude Polonia, NCK. Fundacja Archeologia Fotografii / Warsaw, PL
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
2016 – To be like I. Curated by Zhanna Gladko / Gallery of Contemporary art Ў. Minsk, BY
ART FAIRS
2024 – BAAM#08, Berlin Artists Art Market / Berlin, DE
AWARDS
2025 – Longlist for the Ales Adamovich Award. PEN Belarus. Book “DESCENT INTO THE MARSH”
2025
– CANCAN BIENNALE #1. Curated by Aline Montaigne / Espace Saint-Nicolas. Coutances, FR
– XY 2025 : Berlin in Olomouc. Curated by Radka Částková, Hana Kurková, Anna Sýsová / Basement Studio. Olomouc, CZ
– Festival Circulation(s). Curated by Collectif Fetartt / CENTQUATRE-PARIS. Paris, FR
– DESCENT INTO THE MARSH. / alpha nova & galerie futur. Berlin, DE
2024
– Long-distance Relationships. Curated by Zofia nierodzińska and Stephan Koal / Gallery KVOST. Berlin, DE
– United Nations. Curated by Joanna Szumacher / Galeria WY. Łódź, PL
– The OTHER SESSION. During the 60th Venice Biennale. Curated by David Liver and Michael Kaethler / Docks Cantieri Cucchini. Venice, IT
– Borders in Zenit. Społem fest. Curated by Katarzyna Rózniak-Szabelska / Club Zenit. Bialystok, PL
– We’ll Hold a Wedding on Your Graves. Beyond VEHA Photographic Archive. Curated by Vera Zalutskaya / Copenhagen Photo Festival. Copenhagen. DK
– FLOW/PRZEPŁYW. Curated by Agnieszka Brzeżańska, Ewa Ciepielewska and Emilia Orzechowska / Centrum Sztuki Galeria EL.
Elbląg, PL
– Sometimes i hold onto the air. Curated by Katharina von Hagenow, Uladzimir Hramovich and Paulina Olszewska / Galerie im Körnerpark. Berlin, DE
2023
– On the New. Hoast artist-run space at Belvedere 21. Curated by Ekaterina Shapiro-Obermair and Wolfgang Obermair / Belvedere 21. Museum of Contemporary Art. Vienna, AT
– LET IT SHINE. Beyond VEHA Photographic Archive. Curated by Vera Zalutskaya / MOS. Municipal Art Center. Gorzów Wielkopolski, PL
– LIMINARIUM. Performensk at PlatformB. Curated by Anna Bakinovskaia / Theaterhaus. Stuttgart, DE
– 21. SURVIVAL Art Review ERZAC. Fundacja Art Transparent. Curators Michał Bieniek, Anna Kołodziejczyk, Małgorzata Miśniakiewicz, Ewa Pluta, Daniel Brożek / Wroclaw, PL
2022
– BY LAW. Curated by Maksymilian Bochenek, SUPLEMENT project / Museum of Emigration. Gdynia, PL
– VERSSchmuggel Belarus Deutschland. Curated by Louise Walleneit / Galerie intershop. Leipzig, DE
– Belarusian female artists. Dialog between the generations. Curated by Maya Hristova and Jewgeni Roppel / Gallery KVOST. Berlin, DE
– Distant Tolerable Murder. Collaboration with artist Valentyna Petrova. Curated by Anna Łazar and Lada Nakonechna, with the assistance of Museum of Art in Łódź / Berlin, DE
– The Code of Presence: Belarusian Protest Embroideries and Textile Patterns. Curated by Sasha Razor / University of Michigan Library. Michigan, USA
– Echoes. Voices from Belarus III, ECLAT Hybrid Festival. Curated by Christine Fischer / Hospitalhof church. Stuttgart, DE
2021
– OPA #12. Curated by Sylwester Galuschka / Kolonia Artystów. Gdansk, PL
– Belarus – Screams of the Silenced / The Grey Space in the Middle. Den Haag, NL
– War, Revolution and Protest in the Female Lens. Curated by Iwona Demko and Renata Kopyto / Dom Norymberski. Krakow, PL
– Every Day. Art. Solidarity. Resistance. Curated by Aleksei Borisionok, Andrei Dureika, Marina Naprushkina, Sergey Shabohin, Antonina Stebur and Maxim Tyminko / Gallery Mystetskyi Arsenal. Kyiv, UA
– Białoruś: Marsz Wolności. Curated by Joanna Kinowska / Kordegarda Gallery. Warsaw, PL
– Practicing Revolution. Curated by Marina Naprushkina, Agnieszka Kilian / Sinema Transtopia. Berlin, DE
– Freedom, Pain and Hope. Curated by Katja Haustein and Franca Wohlt / KLEISTER. Berlin, DE
2020
– Belarus.Protest.Art. / Gallery 59 Rivoli. Paris, FR
– Belarusian Sundays in Red and White / Henry Dunant Museum. Heiden, SE
– Wear Zones. Curated by Lizaveta Michalchuk / KX Space. Brest, BY
2018
– Mater Materia. Curated by Lizaveta Michalchuk / KX Space. Brest, BY
– Triennial of Photography Hamburg. Curated by Jewgeni Roppel / OSTLOOK, Gallery 21. Hamburg, DE
2017
– Hold on. Let go. Curated by Franca Wohlt / AFF Gallery. Berlin, DE
– Memory Lands. Curated by Chiara Isadora Artico / Museum of the Battle. IoDeposito B#S Gallery. Treviso, IT
– One Can Not Be Too Careful. Curated by Ania PsH, Raddy Junova, Rodina art group / Lock In Gallery. Brighton, UK
– PRAFOTA. Curated by Anna Shpakova / CECH Gallery. Minsk, BY
– Work Hard! Play Hard!Transmission. Palianina-Pcholka / Minsk, BY
2016 – To be like I. Curated by Zhanna Gladko / Gallery of Contemporary art Ў. Minsk, BY
2015 – Seven Dreams L / Pracovna & Laskafe. Prague, CZ
2013
– Structuring. Curated by Natalia Harachaja / Gallery of Contemporary art Ў. Minsk, BY
– Structuring: fragments. Curated by Natalia Harachaja / Gallery of Contemporary art Ў. Minsk, BY
ART FAIRS
2024 – BAAM#08, Berlin Artists Art Market / Berlin, DE
2022 – Stockholm Independent Art Fair, KX Space / Stockholm, SE
2021, 2020 – Fundacja Humanosh. Piękna Gallery / onebid.pl
2020 – VLADEY, online auction vladey.net
AWARDS