GALAS Collective

GALAS Collective was founded in 2022 in response to the war in Ukraine, driven by the need to support people affected by war, forced displacement, and the systemic erasure of Ukrainian culture under Russian aggression. What began as an act of solidarity with Ukraine has since evolved into an ongoing practice of supporting migrant and refugee communities, as well as cultures that have been uprooted and subjected to oppression. Our work takes many forms—spatial, participatory, performative, and culinary—which serve as tools for building relationships, collective healing, and shared resistance.

GALAS is:

Vladyslav Gryn – volunteer, activist, and co-founder of the GALAS Collective. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he has worked with the BLYZKIST collective and the “Sunflower” Community Centre at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw. He is actively involved in projects that foster the integration of migrants and refugees into Polish society through community-based initiatives and cultural activities.

Taras Gembik – cultural worker and performer. He is the coordinator of the Roma Community Centre in Warsaw and co-founder of the BLYZKIST (“closeness”) collective and the “Sunflower” Community Centre at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw. He also co-runs an anti-crisis film club with the Daj Herbatę Foundation, creating a space for people experiencing homelessness.

Solidarity Tablecloth

Participants are invited to collectively create a Solidarity Tablecloth using a variety of materials, producing a shared, multi-authored object. Rather than following a predetermined design or narrative, the tablecloth takes shape through the combined gestures, stories, and memories of everyone involved. Once completed, it will be used during communal meals, continuing the GALAS Collective’s practice of using food and gathering as tools for solidarity and community building.