Rafal MILACH „Disappearing Circus“

Exhibition is taking place
F Galerija (Aušros str. 6)
I-VII 9.00-19.00

The opening of exhibition: 17:30, May 20, 2009 (Wednesday)

Circus used to be one of the most popular mass entertainments of communist time in Poland. Artists who performed in the circus at the time were heroes beloved by crowds.

At their glory days, Polish circus artists worked for the biggest and the most prestigious circuses all over the world. They all came from circus school in Julinek, which was considered one of the best in the central-eastern European region. Since 90-ties Julinek has been slowly dying. The circus base that employed up to 1500 artists and technician workers was closed due to financial problems.
I portrayed retired artists who worked in circus for 20-50 years. Some of them I photographed in their houses. Although retired for many years they still keep old circus performance dresses. The others I photographed in ruins of Julinek circus centre. For all of them it was one day trip to the past.

About Rafal Milach
Born in 1978 in Gliwice, Poland and based in Warsaw, Poland. Rafal Milach attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, where he received a Masters of Fine Art degree in 2002. He also earned a Bachelor degree of Photography from the Institute for Creative Photography (ITF) in Opava, Czech Republic in 2003. In 2004 Rafal Milach was invited to take part in training for emerging photojournalists form Eastern and Central Europe organized by “VII Photo” agency in France. In 2006 he was selected for a “KulturKontakt Austria” scholarship. In 2007 photographer took part in “Joop Swart Masterclass” organized by World Press Photo foundation in Amsterdam.

As a freelance photographer he works with Polish magazines such as, “Newsweek Poland”, “Przekroj” and “Polityka”. His works were also published in the international publications such as “Newsweek”, “Time”, “Die Zeit”, “Courrier International”. His work has been exhibited in Poland, Austria, The Netherlands, Spain, Finland, Germany, Japan, Ukraine and China and is in the permanent collection of the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Art, in Kiyosato Japan.

In addition, his photographs has earned him numerous international and national awards such as the World Press Photo, Picture of the Year International, Polish Press Photo Awards, Mio Photo Awards, BZWBK Press Photo Awards, Grand Press Photo and Newsweek Poland Photo Awards.

A book called “The Grey” was published in 2002. It was the result of long-term essay about Upper Silesia, one of the most industrialized and ecologically devastated regions of Poland and Europe. Rafal Milach is currently working on a new long-term personal project about the middle class young Russians. Since 2006 he is a member of Anzenberger Agency.