TRIVA
TRIVA was founded in Minsk in 1987 by a group of photographers who wanted to work outside the limits of official Soviet photography. At a time when most published images followed strict rules, they chose a different path, focusing on personal ideas, experimentation, and everyday life.
TRIVA
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«Photography begins where imitation ends».
The group grew around photographer and teacher Valery Lobko, who encouraged photographers to develop their own visual language instead of copying established styles. TRIVA was never about creating one recognizable look. Each member worked differently, but they shared the belief that photography could be more than a simple record of reality.
Instead of searching for perfect compositions, they photographed ordinary streets, apartments, factories, and people around them. At the same time, they experimented with collage, staged scenes, handwritten texts, and unconventional exhibition formats, treating photography as a creative medium rather than just a document.
Many of their exhibitions looked very different from traditional photo shows. Prints were mixed with objects, installations, and personal notes, making the exhibition itself part of the artwork. The goal was not only to show photographs but to create a conversation with the viewer.
Many of their exhibitions looked very different from traditional photo shows. Prints were mixed with objects, installations, and personal notes, making the exhibition itself part of the artwork. The goal was not only to show photographs but to create a conversation with the viewer.
«A photograph should ask questions before it gives answers».
TRIVA appeared during the final years of the Soviet Union, when censorship was beginning to weaken and artists had more freedom to experiment. The group became an important meeting place for photographers interested in new ideas and helped shape an independent photography scene in Belarus.
Although TRIVA remained relatively unknown outside Eastern Europe, its influence has continued through the work of its members and students. Many photographers who passed through the group later developed their own careers while keeping the same spirit of curiosity and creative freedom.
Although TRIVA remained relatively unknown outside Eastern Europe, its influence has continued through the work of its members and students. Many photographers who passed through the group later developed their own careers while keeping the same spirit of curiosity and creative freedom.
Today, TRIVA is remembered as one of the most important photography collectives in Belarusian photographic history. Their work showed that photography could question familiar ideas, mix different forms of expression, and find meaning in the ordinary moments of everyday life.