Tomas Rafa

Tomas Rafa was born in 1979 in Zilina, Slovakia. He graduated from the Department of Digital Media at the Academy of Fine Arts in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. Tomas Rafa’s work explores the line between patriotism and nationalism. Through photographs and videos, Rafa focuses on displays of racism and xenophobia in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia. Over the last three years, Rafa has created a video project set against the background of political demonstrations, blockades, protests, and scenes of everyday life in these countries. The project features group demonstrations and displays of extremism where national and sexual majorities are in opposition to minorities, often complimented with the artist’s own actions and performances. Just as the famous Czech director Karel Vachek, Rafa keeps the camera on at all times during these events, even when the journalists have left. In this way, the footage presents situations one would not have the chance to see on a television news program. Rafa won the Oskár Čepan’s Award for 2011 in Slovakia.