In The Space Between Words at Copeland Gallery, London
- Diana Serban
- Mar 12
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 31
IN THE SPACE BETWEEN WORDS (12 – 16 March 2025, Copeland Gallery) brought together an expanded group of Rethinking Eastern Europe artists, further broadening the perspectives within our collective. Throughout the five days we were open, we welcomed more than 1,000 curious visitors to our exhibition.
Curated by @zula.ra & @verahadzhiyska, the show introduced new voices, fresh works, and a wider range of mediums, offering deeper reflections on belonging, shifting cultural narratives, and the fluidity of national identity in a rapidly changing world.
As part of the exhibition, I shared my exploration of memory, possessions, and place through my Time Capsule series. I showcased a selection of new images, created in Romania during my self-directed artist residency in Modelu, Călărași in 2024, alongside a textile installation. Together, these works examine the emotional weight objects carry and their role in preserving personal and family histories.
About the exhibition
Through a dynamic mix of media, including video, installation, photography, sculpture and performance, the exhibition explores the complexities of identity, history, religion and geopolitical shifts that have shaped Eastern Europe. The works in this show engage with both the visible and invisible boundaries that define the region, questioning notions of division, belonging, heritage and transformation. By highlighting the area’s rich cultural diversity and its ongoing reinvention, the exhibition encourages a broader dialogue about the fluidity of national and cultural identities in a rapidly changing world.
The themes resonate both globally and within local communities in South East London. While the exhibiting artists work on different topics, interrogating a plethora of ideas through distinct visual languages, audiences are invited to reflect on the power of unity and diversity in shaping our collective future.
Curators Vera Hadzhiyska and Zula Rabikowska say of the exhibition:
“In today’s world, with ever-shifting socio-political landscapes, it is important to bring communities of creative practitioners together, to cross both imaginative and actual borders, to celebrate our differences and similarities in perspectives and lived experiences. In curating ‘In the Space Between Words’ we challenge and revitalise existing stereotypes that reduce “Eastern” Europe into a homogenous bloc. We want to show the intricate complexity and diversity of the region.”
Artists
Arti Siudem (Poland), Diana Serban (Romania), Eve Gil (Poland/Wales), Filip Gesse (Poland), Grupa Łono (Poland), Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz (UK), Ioana Marinca (Romania/UK), Ismail Khokon (Poland/UK), Karla Šavrtková (Slovakia), Katerina Kouzmitcheva (Belarus/Poland), Katie McCraw (UK/Bosnia & Herzegovina), Ksenia Kazintseva (Ukraine/Russia), Laura Bivolaru (Romania), Lăcră Grozăvescu (Romania), Lina Ivanova (Bulgaria), Marcelina Amelia (Poland), Maria Gvardeitseva (Belarus), Nastassja Nefjodov (Russia/Germany), Patricia Petersen (Poland/Denmark), Paulina Korobkiewicz (Poland), Roxana Savin (Romania), Vera Hadzhiyska (Bulgaria), Zsuzsanna Ida Papp (Slovakia/Hungary), Zula Rabikowska (Poland).
Features
Review of In The Space Between Words by Sophie Nowakowska,independent curator, artist manager and art critic
‘In The Space Between Words’ @Copeland Gallery by Polish Cultural Institute London
In The Space Between Words at Copeland Gallery, Peckham by Fast Forward
About Copeland Gallery
Copeland Gallery is one of the most sought-after contemporary gallery venues available to hire in Peckham. A spacious, flexible 4,200 sq ft space, it celebrates its industrial period features with whitewashed walls and striking exposed concrete floors.
Established in 2013, Copeland Gallery has been a key contributor to the rise of Peckham’s art scene, housing hundreds of solo shows, group exhibitions and private views. Past clients include Es Devlin, Hannah Barry, Wilfrid Wood, V&A, Peckham 24, UAL, among others.
Let's connect!
Find me on Instagram @battlegrounds19 and the collective @re.thinking.eastern.europe.
Special thank you
Special thanks to @zula.ra and @verahadzhiyska for bringing us together and their excellent curatorial work.
Special thanks also to Paulina Korobkiewicz, Ksenia Kazintseva, and Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz for their hard work supporting the exhibition's installation and promotion.
Install and events shots by me, Paulina Korobkiewicz and Katie McCraw.
Thank you Sarah Kravits, for publicly supporting the exhibition.
My works were beautifully, sustainably printed, and in time, by Spectrum , thanks to Bea.
One of my pieces was framed by Everlasting Casting, thanks to Tamera.
Image in the visual by © Zsuzsanna Ida Papp, @papp_ida_zsuzsanna.
This exhibition was made possible by Copeland Park’s Emerging Artist Exhibitions Programme.
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