Anna Banasiak/ Holidays

Anna Banasiak. Graduate of the Photography and Sputnik Photos Mentoring Program No. 13. Holds an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Warsaw, Poland. Participated in numerous group exhibitions as well as several solo exhibitions. Recent presentations include SpinOFF Łódź Fotofestival 2025, FotoArt Festival in Bielsko-Biała, Witryna Artystyczna Chłodna 20, and other venues. My artistic practice explores pressing social issues, including violence against women (Hammer on Witches) and transgenerational trauma (The (Un)Happy Family Album and Zieleniak’44). Working primarily with photography, I also used to incorporate mixed-media collage into my practice. My latest project, Zieleniak’44, examines transgenerational trauma stemming from the events of the Second World War, with particular attention to wartime sexual violence and the legacy of rape. The project's outdoor exhibition has become a permanent element of the landscape of Warsaw's Ochota district.

Welcome to Turkey

Turkey is a country where Eastern and Western traditions coexist, and where secular law—established with the founding of the Republic in 1923—exists alongside Muslim customs. Its culture has been profoundly shaped by its unique location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.

My works are based on photographs I took during a trip to Turkey. We visited the Aegean region, an area rich inmonuments from the Greek, Roman, and Ottoman periods. This region also holds great significance in the history of Christianity. Near Ephesus, for example, on what is known as Nightingale Hill, we visited the House of the Virgin Mary (Meryem Ana Evi), where, according to tradition, Mary spent the final years of her earthly life. It is also an important place of pilgrimage for both Christians and Muslims, where these two faiths coexist in a unique and meaningful way.

In this project, I use multiple exposure and digital collage techniques to express this cultural and spiritual mosaic. By layering images and visual elements, I aim to reflect the overlapping histories, religions, and traditions that together create the distinctive identity of this place.