It’s become nearly impossible to gain access to images from Belarus: the political leadership has been oppressing its population for years with massive restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly. The results are deserted plazas in public space, news censorship, website shutdowns, editorial offices and theatre closures, banned student meetings. The distribution of images and news faces great difficulties, is persecuted as espionage and severely punished.

At Cognosco, visitors can now see a selection of photographs from the country, recorded and stored at considerable risk and with a great deal of courage. The images portray everyday life in Belarus in its disturbing juxtaposition of joie de vivre and violence, desolation and courage. Nadzeya Buzhan und Pasha Kritchko passed the views and stories they recorded on to the Berlin gallery in order to show the ‘normality’ of life there and to lend a face to the wonderful country and its people, along with everything happening there.

A Country Without Images is an exhibition of the Belarusian exile community realized with the support of Mara e.V. and the Brandenburg Landeszentrale für Politische Bildung (Brandenburg State Centre for Political Education). To see these pictures is to be deeply touched – by the courage of people standing up for our freedom.