Strike (B)

books / 2021

“Gazes intersect. They are myriad and varied: from above, from the side, from behind; extended and persistent, fleeting and impassive; driven by fear, duty, a sense of power, or curiosity. This diversity is not only a feature of the socio-political spectacle unfolding in the streets, but is also inherent to photography itself. Photography as an interpenetration of gazes.” — Karolina Gembara, from Rafał Milach's book Strike (Strajk)

On 22 October 2020, Poland's Constitutional Tribunal ruled that abortion in cases of severe fetal abnormalities was incompatible with the Constitution. The decision triggered nationwide protests that began the same day and quickly spread across the country. Demonstrations took place in hundreds of locations, from major cities to small towns

For months, streets across Poland became sites of marches, blockades, assemblies, and acts of solidarity. While opposition to the abortion ruling remained at the center of the protests, participants also called for a secular state and the resignation of the government. Strike is a visual record of this unprecedented wave of civic mobilization

Photographs, editing, sequencing: Rafał Milach / Cover graphics: Ola Jasionowska / Book design: Ania Nałęcka-Milach & Rafał Milach / Texts: Aleksandra Boćkowska, Karolina Gembara, Iwona Kurz / Managing editor: Joanna Osiewicz-Lorenzutti / Translations: Stefan Lorenzutti, Joanna Osiewicz-Lorenzutti, Samuel Tchorek-Bentall / Editing of texts: Małgorzata Poździk (PL), Stefan Lorenzutti (EN) / Proofreading of Polish texts: Małgorzata Kuśnierz, Izabela Poręba / Publisher: JEDNOSTKA Gallery 2021

Awards:

Authors' Book Award winner at the Rencontres Photographiques d'Arles 2022 / Arles, France

Photography book of the year at the Grand Press Photo 2022 / Warsaw, Poland