(un)FAMILIAR 

Every year, thousands of young Poles go abroad for seasonal work to earn a living back home. After long hours of hard physical labor, they return to their temporary accommodations, where they eat, wash, and rest. It is in these spaces that people who would never have met in Poland create a shared daily life. They form new relationships and experience unfamiliar emotions, all while carrying their own secrets and personal histories.

The photography project (un)FAMILIAR focuses on the experiences of those undertaking seasonal work abroad. Its aim is to showcase the diversity of personalities encountered in these environments and to explore the dynamics of labor, human relationships, and the emotions that accompany this unique experience.

The first series of photographs centers on a group of Poles working in grape harvesting in France, capturing the realities of seasonal labor and the living conditions in temporary homes. The next section documents the daily lives of eight young men employed in warehouses in the Netherlands, where they carry hundreds of boxes weighing up to 30 kilograms each day. Some of them have been working this way for years, while others stay for just a few months. Their employee housing — small and overcrowded — serves as a shared space for dozens of people. They share bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, responsibilities, and moments of relaxation.

The project is currently in progress.

Albert Słowinski is a Polish photographer whose goal is to create a long-term documentary project that highlights current and real events. In his reportages, he tries to portray cultural diversity and personal stories, living in the communities he documents. He is currently studying photography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Szczecin. He is a finalist in the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 (student category) and the GOMMA Photography Grant 2024.