Loft Project ETAGI presents
PRESS PHOTO 2011: Belarus, Lithuania, Estonia
September, 30th — October, 24th


Belarus, Lithuania and Estonia are countries, which have very different policies. The way it affects the social situation and the way that our nearest western neighbours see themselves is the focal question that is highlighted at the exhibition, which unites all three national Press Photo competitions.

The Baltic countries stick to the democratic vector of development, and the power is characterized with the liberal relation towards many things, including photojournalism. Competitions are held with the public and mass media support. The greater part of the works by the Belorussian press photographers, who have dedicated their works to the depiction of reality, is banned for the publication in newspapers and magazines. This year an exhibition was prohibited in Belarus, so that they had to display it in Poland. Nevertheless the stiff shots from the different countries share much more, than one could have imagined.

News, social problems, culture, sports, nature, fashion, art – all are common things which excite people, irrespective of their place of residence. The difference between the official documents of the state level cannot slow down the rapid development of the horizontal communications between average people: both economic and private. They build a worthy life, not caring about the identity of the political systems, the difference between which doesn't make people worse or better, doesn't change the nature and human values. Will it be possible to understand the difference without the explications to the photos? This is the question to be thought over, which is evoked by the works on display at the exhibition "PRESS PHOTO: Belarus, Lithuania, Estonia".