Andrej Balco (1973) is a Slovak documentary and portrait photographer with a primary focus on social and environmental issues. He studied photography at the Institute of Creative Photography at the Silesian University in Opava. His work has earned him numerous awards and grants, including Czech Press Photo and the Journalism Award for his series Anthracite about women's work in Ukraine. He is a co-founder of the international photographers' collective Sputnik Photos and the Slovak Documentary Photography association. He published the book Domésticas (House of Photography, 2008) and has co-authored several other publications. His works are regularly exhibited in Slovakia and abroad. Currently, he teaches at the Faculty of Mass Media at the Pan-European University in Bratislava and works as a documentarian and photographer at the Ján Koniarek Gallery in Trnava.
Education
2001–2010 Master’s degree in photography at the Institute of Creative Photography, Faculty of Philosophy and Science at the Silesian University in Opava, Czech Republic
1993–1998 Master’s degree in social sciences at the Faculty of Social Work, Trnava University in Trnava, Slovak Republic
Grants & Awards
2011 Journalist prize 2010 in the Best Journalist Photography category, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2009 Special prize for the Domésticas series at GRAND PRIX FOTOFESTIWAL 2009, 8th International Festival of Photography in Lodz, Poland
2009 Fresh M.I.L.K. photography competition, winner in “Family, Friendship, Lovers & Laughter” category, Auckland, New Zealand
2007 Czech Press Photo: 1st prize in the Portrait category, Prague, Czech Republic
2007 Frame 007: 1st prize in the Dependence category, Brno, Czech Republic
2006 Participation in the IPRN photography competition Changing Faces, Rio de Janeiro – Niteroi, Brazil
2006 Frame 006: 1st prize in the Travel category, Brno, Czech Republic
2005 Mio Photo Awards: Juror's Award (Shimao Shinzo), Osaka, Japan
2004 PhotoDocument.sk: photography committee of Vaculik Advertising, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2004 Mio Photo Awards: final selection, Osaka, Japan
2002 Czech Press Photo: honorary mention, Prague, Czech Republic
Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions (major ones)
2024 Bratislava 24, Karol Kállay Gallery, Paneuropean University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2022 Island, Karol Kállay Gallery, Paneuropean University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2022 HouSink, Slovak Institute, Budapest, Hungary
2021 HouSink, Flatgallery, Piešťany, Slovak Republic
2020 HouSink, Flatgallery, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2019 Suburbs, Slovak Press Photo Gallery, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2018 ReGenerácia, Nová Cvernovka Gallery, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2017 Domésticas, Krystal Gallery, Ostrava, Czech Republic
2014 Domésticas Plus / Places, Kysuce Gallery, Oščadnica, Slovak Republic
2013 Domésticas Plus, City Museum Pezinok, Pezinok, Slovak Republic
2012 Domésticas Plus, Central European House of Photography, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2011 Anthracite, Gallery Café Amadeus, Olomouc, Czech Republic
2010 Domésticas, Fotofest Košice 2010, Slovak Technical Museum, Slovak Republic
2009 Domésticas, Gallery Fiducia, Ostrava, Czech Republic
Domésticas, Grand Prix Fotofestiwal 2009 at 8th International Festival of Photography in Lodz, Poland
2008 Domésticas, Leica Gallery Prague, Czech Republic
Domésticas, Dom fotografie / House of Photography, Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovak Republic
2007 Selected photographs from SUBURBS and SUNDAY WISHES projects, Gallery Opera Myrona, Ostrava, Czech Republic
2006 Suburbs, Kino Art Gallery, Brno, Czech Republic
2003 Photographs, 113 Gallery, Bialystok, Poland
2001 Pohoda 2001, Festival of Photography, Pezinok, Slovak Republic
Group exhibitions (major ones)
2022 Island, OFF Bratislava Festival, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2021 Domésticas, by FOG Gallery, Art Market Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
2021 Fog, FOG Gallery, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2019 Suburbs, MODEM, Debrecen, Hungary
2019 Suburbs, SINestESIA, Galleria BDC, Parma, Italy
2011 East / Kaunas Photography Gallery, Lithuania
2010 “U“ by Sputnik Photos, Central European House of Photography, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2009 New Slovak Photography, Prague Biennale, Praha, Czech Republic
2008 New Slovak Photography, Budapest, Hungary
2008 Suburbs NOORDERLICHT – Beyond Walls, Fries Museum, Leeuwarden, Holland
2008 Suburbs, Brick5 Gallery, Wien, Austria
2008 Domésticas, Central European House of Photography, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2007 Domésticas, Art Museum, Rowaniemi, Finland
2007 Sunday Wishes, Dom fotografie / House of Photography, Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovak Republic
2007 Domésticas, House of Art, Brno, Czech Republic
2007 5lovensko, Month of Photography Festival, Central European House of Photography, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2007 Sunday Wishes, Czech Press Photo, Prague, Czech Republic
2006 Sunday Wishes, Moravian Gallery, Brno, Czech Republic
2005 Suburbs, Mio Photo Awards, Osaka, Japan
2003 Suburbs, House of Arts, Opava, Czech Republic