LOCATION: Outdoor exhibition at the theatre park MAP
The Powers That Be explores two parallel developments in Poland during the 2023 parliamentary elections: the decline of the coal industry and a closely contested political moment. Across towns and mining regions, campaign posters filled the streets—some intact, others torn or altered—reflecting a society navigating questions of authority, trust, and political change.
For many voters, the election was shaped less by idealism than by concerns about the country’s future. Public discussions touched on issues such as judicial independence, press freedom, and shifting social policies. At the same time, the future of coal mining—long central to the region’s identity and economy—was being debated as the European Union continued its transition to renewable energy. For many miners, the prospect of replacement industries such as tourism raised questions of livelihood, dignity, and continuity.
Using Fuji Instax film, Gignoux and Juno focus on details from campaign imagery—hands, smiles, ties, and gestures—highlighting the subtle ways political authority is constructed and presented. These portraits are paired with photographs of the coal mines themselves, placing political imagery and industrial landscape in direct conversation.
The Powers That Be examines the visual language of political advertising and the systems it seeks to influence. It asks a simple but enduring question: when the promises settle and the posters come down, do we receive what we thought we voted for?
Alan Gignoux is a London‑based documentary photographer whose work explores environmental justice, migration, and the social impact of industry. Working internationally, he combines long‑form visual storytelling with collaborative research, producing projects, films, and photobooks that foreground human experience and amplify under‑represented voices across global communities.
Photo: © Alan Gignoux
Chloe Juno is a Brighton‑based documentary photographer, curator, and artist whose work explores everyday objects, material culture, and overlooked social histories. Through publishing, visual storytelling, and collaborative research, she creates projects that foreground lived experience and elevate the narratives found in domestic, working, and community spaces.
Photo: © Chloe Juno
