Biography

I am a Polish-born, London-based artist, ethnographer, and researcher working at the intersection of visual arts, social anthropology, and public engagement.

I am currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the School of Social Sciences and Professions, Centre for Global Diversities and Inequalities at Metropolitan University London, working as and ethnographer in a pioneering interdisciplinary study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Led by Prof. Michał P. Garapich in collaboration with Rafał Soborski, this research explores the everyday transnationalism of right-wing politics, with a specific focus on Polish immigrants joining far-right groups in the UK. The study has significant social impact both locally and internationally, breaking new ground in the study of far-right movements and radicalisation in Britain.

More: London Metropolitan University - Everyday transnationalism of the right

I also co-teach the Radicalisation and Counter-Radicalisation Strategies module, which is led by Dr Sukhwant Dhaliwal, Senior Lecturer in the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit.

My work sits at the intersection of visual art performance, digital media experimentation, and site-specific interventions. Moving between social anthropology and visual arts, I have developed an innovative, interdisciplinary approach that challenges perceptions and creates spaces for critical reflection on the complexities of belonging and identity.

My evolution as a scholar and artist is reflected in my academic journey—from studying at the University of Fine Arts in Poznań (Poland) to a practice-led PhD exchange at the Slade School of Fine Art (UCL) in London, before ultimately settling in London in 2017. My awarded PhD, Crowd Crystal: The Space of Fear in Contemporary Society, exemplifies my commitment to challenging established norms in both art and academia. The project was presented at Watermans Art Centre, London, in 2020.

I have led numerous research and artistic projects addressing social marginalisation, including Melody of Nostalgia, a collaborative sound performance with Eastern European migrants for Supersonic Festival 2018 at Centrala Space, Birmingham. I also co-produced and was part of the academic research team for That Boy (2025) and The Extremist and Me (2025), films that explore extremism through the voices of former radicals.

More: London Metropolitan University Profile - Dr Anna Jochymek

Outside of my research and artistic work, I find great joy in cycling and second-hand fashion. Not just for their sustainability but for the creativity and freedom they bring to everyday life.

London Metropolitan University research team (from left):
Anna Jochymek, Rafał Soborski, Michał Garapich, Greta

2015 - 2019
Interdisciplinary practice-led PhD Studies
Faculty of Multimedia Communication
University of Arts in Poznan

2018 - 2019
Honorary Research Associate
Slade School of Fine Art
University College London

2017 - 2018
PhD Studies (visiting research student) 
fellowship at Slade School of Fine Art 
University College London 

2013 - 2015 Personal Assistant
Miroslaw Balka Studio of Spatial Activities
Faculty of Media Art
Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw

2011 - 2013 MA (Distinction) 
Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
Faculty of Media Art
Specialty Media Art at Miroslaw Balka Studio of Spatial Activities

2008 - 2011 BA
University of Arts in Poznan
Faculty of Multimedia Communication
Specialty Photography at Piotr Chojnacki Studio of Documentary Photography

2007 - 2008 Academy of Photography in Warsaw

2004 - 2007 Baccalauréat
II High School im.Wł. Broniewskiego in Koszalin
biol – med class

Soborski, R. Jochymek A., Garapich M. (2025) “Home-making through deathscapes or how to circumvent the contradictions of nationalism: The case of Polish far-right activists in Britain”. Nations and Nationalism
Jochymek A., Soborski R., Garapich M. (2025) “Solidarność from Gdańsk in 1980 to Calgary in 2022: Political remitting and glocalization of symbols across time and space”. Consumption Markets & Culture
Garapich M., Jochymek, A., Soborski, R. 2024. “Immigrants in the Transnational Far Right: Integration Through Racisms and Negotiating White Supremacy.” International Migration Review 58 (4).
Soborski, R., Garapich, M., Jochymek, A. 2024. “Polonization of the British Soil and Home-Making Through Deathscapes: The Far-Right's Reluctant Transnational Adventures.” The Working Papers Series produced jointly by the Toronto Metropolitan Centre for Immigration and Settlement (TMCIS) and the CERC in Migration and Integration.

7 November 2024 Ethnographic impossible encounters: An anthropologist among Polish migrants in the UK – presentation at the International Conference on Polish Communities in the UK after Brexit, “Identity – Openness – Integration”.
31 October 2024 Transnational dimension of the 2024 Riots - invited talk for University of Sheffield Migration Research Group Seminar, “Understanding the 2024 Race Riots: Toxic Polarisation and Resilient Communities”, Sheffield.
14 October 2024 Transnationalizing the far right: negotiating white supremacy in migratory context – presentation at CSPIR Research Seminar, London Metropolitan University.
3-25 September 2024 Powroty ekstremistów re-emigranci jako element radykalizujący; Auto-tokenizacja polskich skrajnie prawicowych aktywistów w Wielkiej Brytanii: transnarodowy wymiar, polityczne implikacje i integracja przez rasizm; Ruch antyimigrancki na emigracji: Ideologia, działacze i integracja-poprzez- rasizm Narodowego Odrodzenia Polski w Wielkiej Brytanii – three presentations at the International Migration Research Network Annual Conference, Jagiellonian University in Krakow.
12-15 August 2024 “Polish pride is something else” Polish diaspora nationalism, integration through racism and the far right – presentation at ECPR General Conference in Dublin. Anna Jochymek also acted as Discussant, on the panel “Ethnographic and qualitative approaches to the study of the far right”.
17-19 July 2024 Global Shifts and Local Rifts - Future of Migrations and Rise of the Far-Right from Anthropological Perspective – keynote at the Global Studies Research Network Conference, “The World on the Move: Understanding Migration in a New Global Age”, Jagiellonian University in Krakow.
2-5 July 2024 Transplanting roots to become native: Narratives and rituals of home-making by Polish far-right activists in Britain; Transnationalizing White Power and integration through racism – Polish skinheads in Canada and Great Britain – two presentations at the 21st IMISCOE Annual Conference “Migration as a Social Construction: A Reflexive Turn”, Lisbon.
25-28 March 2024 “National populists of the world, unite?” Supranational and transnational dimensions of far-right alliances in post-Brexit Britain – presentation at Joint Sessions Workshop “Populism and Minorities”, Leuphana University, Lüneburg.
18 January 2024 “Trucking towards Latin Civilization”: Transnational far-right, the Freedom Convoy and its appeal to Polish Canadians – presentation at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations workshop, Coventry University.
25 October 2023 Integration through racism? Far-right activism among immigrants and ethnic minorities in Britain and Canada – Brown Bag Seminar for CERC Migration at Toronto Metropolitan University.
20-22 September 2023 Integracja poprzez rasizm? Skrajnie prawicowy aktywizm polskich imigrantów w Wielkiej Brytanii – presentation at the Annual Conference of the Committee for Migration Research of the Polish Academy of Science „Migracje w obliczu wielkich zmian społecznych – wyzwania dla teorii i praktyki”, University of Bialystok.
5-9 September 2023 What’s behind transnational glocalization of the far right? The case of Polish immigrants’ participation in far-right groups in Britain – presentation at the 16th Pan-European Conference on International Relations, Section: ST07 - International Migration, Nationalism and Interethnic Relations, University of Potsdam.
19-21 July 2023 Key paradoxes of the global far right in an era of displacement and social change – plenary panel with Will Allchorn and Elzbieta Korolczuk at the 16th Conference of the Global Studies Research Network “Agency in an Era of Displacement and Social Change”, Oxford Brookes University. 
3-6 July 2023 Polish immigrants in the British far-right organisations: integrating through racism or engaging in diasporic nationalism? – presentation at the International Migration Research Network Annual Conference, University of Warsaw.
3-4 July 2023 Ecologism in the ideology of transnational far-right groups: The cases of Poland and Britain – presentation at the “Capitalism, Fascism, and the Environment”, workshop of the European Association of Social Anthropologists - Anthropology of Fascisms and Anthropology of Economy Networks, University of Cologne.            
9-10 June 2023 Transnationalism of the far right: Polish immigrants’ participation in far-right groups in Britain – presentation at the Mobilization Network Conference “Protest, Nonviolent Resistance, and Democratic Retreat”, University of San Diego.
31 May-1 June 2023 Glocalizing far-right ideologies: the case of transnational immigrant activism in Britain – presentation at Global Studies Association UK 2023 Annual Conference “Globalization in the time of the Anthropocene”, University of Northampton.
18-20 May 2023 Glocalizing far-right ideologies: the case of transnational immigrant activism in Britain – presentation at Second Mid-Term Conference of Global, Transnational and Cosmopolitan Sociology “Which globalization during and after multiple crises?”, Catholic University Milan. 
6 April 2023 Everyday transnationalism of the far right – Polish immigrants in far-right groups in Britain – invited talk at the D.Rad Academic Workshop on “Social Mobilisation and Radicalisation”, PSA Headquarters London.
28 February 2023 Everyday transnationalism of the far right: An interdisciplinary study of Polish immigrants’ participation in far-right groups in Britain – invited talk at the “State Power and Globalization” Research Centre event, Richmond American University London.

2018 Honorary PhD Artist in Residence, Slade School of Fine Art (UCL), London, UK
2014 Geumcheon Art Factory, Seoul, KS
2012 Performance Space Studio, London, UK

2021 Crowd Crystal, Watermans Art Centre, London, UK
2018 Melody of nostalgia, Supersonic Festival 2018, Centrala Space, Birmingham, UK
2015 Superhero, directing performance-installation within the project 'Podaj Dalej' (Pass It On), CPK, Lalka Theatre, The Old Powder Magazine Stage, Warsaw, PL
2015 Monument of A Normal Man, Malta Festival Poznań 2015 'New World Order', Poznan PL
2014 Mastermind, New Curatorial Power Festival - Malta. Sunken memory, Poznan, PL
2014 Invade The Space!, Redutowa 50 str., Warsaw, PL
2013 Bâton Fleurdelisé, Spokojna 15, Warsaw, PL
2008 Dance Kaleidoscope, BB Gallery, The Krakow Photomonth Festival, Krakow, PL

2021 Stanger Dreams, Mains d'Œuvres, Paris, FR
2019 Alternatives of Destruction, Liptovská galéria Petra Michala Bohúňa, Liptovský Mikuláš, SK
2019 Her Own Way. Female Artists and the Moving Image in Art in Poland: From 1970s to the Present, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Tokyo, JP
2019 Triennale Prostor Zlín 2019: Alternatives of destruction, Regional Gallery of Fine Arts in Zlín, Zlín, CZ
2019 Supermarket 2019, Stockholm Independent Art Fair, Stockholm, SE
2019 The Digital Diaspora, Studio 44, Stockholm, SE
2019 The Digital Diaspora, Centrala Space, Birmingham, UK
2019 Sharing Borders, The Slade Research Centre, Slade School of Fine Art (UCL), London, UK
2018 Bound/lessly, Art Walk Gallery, European Square, Warsaw, PL 
2018 100 Years, So What?, Centrala Space, Birmingham, UK
2018 まちはみんなのミュージアム (en. City as Everyone’s Museum), Gallery Chateau2F - Koganei Art Spot, Tokyo, JP 
2018 Action Lublin! Chapter 2, Labirynt Gallery, Lublin, PL
2017 Interference Festival 'Freedom of Form', Gdansk, PL
2017 Hi-Blood Pressure, Gallery Chateau2F - Koganei Art Spot, Tokyo, JP 
2017 Never. Interdisciplinary research project 'Memory, pleasure, shame: the public space of Berat', Skala Gallery, Poznań, PL
2017 Never. Interdisciplinary research project 'Memory, pleasure, shame: the public space of Berat', Spokojna Gallery, Warsaw, PL
2016 Turn on the Culture!, Krytyka Polityczna Cieszyn, Cieszyn, PL
2015 Beet with sugar. History and contexts, The Maria Znamierowska-Prüfferowa Ethnographic Museum in Torun, Torun 2015
2015 Jitters, Komuna Warszawa, Warsaw, PL
2015 WRO Media Art Biennale ‘Test Exposure’, new building of the University Library, Wroclaw, PL
2015 What is that you do?, Salon Akademii Gallery, Warsaw, PL
2014 Distinguishing Features, CH Renoma, WRO Art Center, Wroclaw, PL
2014 Invisible City, Our Monster Gallery, Seoul, KS
2014 Arte Laguna Art Prize 13.14, Arsenale di Venezia, Venice, IT
2013 Coming Out, Sinfonia Varsovia, Warsaw, PL
2013 Hole/Dziura, TRAFO Centre for Contemporary Art, Szczecin, PL
2013 The Best Diplomas in Poland, Great Armoury, Gdansk, PL
2013 Spokojna Tour Now, MOCAK, Krakow, PL
2013 Cohesion, Nowy Theatre, Warsaw, PL
2012 Action 27. New Young Performance Art, Labirynt Gallery, Lublin, PL 
2012 Masquerade, Centrumförfotografi, Stockholm, SE
2012 Views!, Nowa Przestrzeń Gallery, The International Festival of Photography in Lodz, Łodz, PL
2012 Rewolta/Rebelia, Performance Space, London, UK
2012 Hygiene, Spokojna 15, Warsaw, PL
2011 Generation after..., 7th Biennale of Photography: Margins, Jewish Commune, Poznan, PL
2011 N.A.T.U.R.E., Kabelvåg, N
2011 N.A.T.U.R.E., Aula Gallery, Poznan, PL
2010 Gallery Night, Modelarnia, Gdansk, PL

2020 Grant award, The Freelands Foundation Emergency Fund, a-n The Artists Information Company, UK
2019 The Digital Diaspora, selected to exhibition exchange partnership co-organised by Centrala, Birmingham and Studio 44, Birmingham, UK and Stockholm, SE
2015 Open Studio, winner of the contest for performative projects in Komuna // Warszawa, Warsaw, PL
2013 Honourable Mention from the Provost for M.A. Diploma Bâton Fleurdelisé, Miroslaw Balka Studio of Spatial Activities, Academy of Fine Arts Warsaw, PL
2012 Scholarship of The Ministry of Science and Higher Education
2011 Scholarship of The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
2011 participation in grant project N.A.T.U.R.E. (New Art Tours Undergraduate Researchers Experience). Polish – Norwegian worshops resulted in the exhibition. Poznan, Kabelvåg, PL / N

2021 Crowd Crystal, public launch, Anna Jochymek and Katarzyna Depta-Garapich in conversation about the project in a context of the 'space of fear', Watermans Art Centre, London, UK 
2020 Artblab XIII - The Evening Talks: Anna Jochymek, Nick Murray and Yein Son, The Poetry Café – The Poetry Society, London, UK
2019 Wednesday Canvass: 2019 after 1989 - discussion between Anna Jochymek, Alexandra Bulat, Aron Rossman-Kiss and Jon Bloomfield, Centrala Space, Birmingham, UK
2019 Crowd Crystal (in progress) - comment - artist talk Anna Jochymek, The Slade Research Centre, UCL, London, UK
2018 Home Girls — Women Redefining the Domestic Sphere - a panel discussion between Anna Jochymek, Maja A. Ngom, Paola Ciarska, moderated by Maggie Kuzan, Calvert 22 Foundation, London, UK
2017 A4 TERRITORY, Slade School of Fine Art (UCL), London, UK
2017 Hi-Blood Pressure, public meeting, Gallery Chateau2F - Koganei Art Spot, Tokyo, JP 
2016 Visual Pleasure, Anna Jochymek and Urszula Kluz-Knopek, University of Arts in Poznan, Poznan, PL
2016 \Suspension/, Anna Jochymek Artist Talk, Institute of Art History, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poznań, PL 
2016 Is it already Avant-Garde?, Anna Jochymek and Paulina Pankiewicz, University of Arts in Poznan, Poznan, PL
2015 And who's a feminist now?, Anna Jochymek and Urszula Kluz-Knopek, University of Arts in Poznan, Poznan, PL
2014 Responsibility, Miroslaw Balka and Anna Jochymek, This & That Open lecture Series, Umeå School of Architecture, Umeå, SE 
2012 Cieszyn_01 Seminar, Szara Gallery, Cieszyn, PL

I co-created and co-produced all the events below. I fully coordinated the whole process and liaised with all our partners. 

2015 The memory of a crying tree and the butterfly feasting is like the light of a church, from which a bridge is leading across the river and its banks, on which the crowd is silently carrying a carpet to the library, where the glass doors and order and alarm are.
• Studio of Spatial Activities at WRO Media Art Biennale ‘Test Exposure’
• place: a new building of the University Library, Wroclaw, PL 

• Place: studio no. 13, Faculty of Media Art, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Warsaw, PL 

2015 ZOO
• Exhibition of students from Miroslaw Balka Studio of Spatial Activities
• Place: ZOO, Warsaw, PL

2014 Μύθοι. Myths. Students/Artists/Teachers. A process of exchange 
• International cooperation between the Universities: Miroslaw Balka Studio of Spatial Activities, Media Art Department, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and Donatella Landi’s course of Video-installation at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome.
• Workshops program and exhibition
• Place: Fondazione Pastificio Cerere, Roma, IT 

2014 Performance
workshop program and exhibition of students from Miroslaw Balka Studio of Spatial Activities 
• Workshop program and exhibition of students from Miroslaw Balka Studio of Spatial Activities
• Place: Labirynt Gallery, Lublin, PL 

2013 S-NOW apersonalformofarchitecture
• Workshops program and exhibition
• International cooperation between the Universities: Miroslaw Balka Studio of Spatial Activities, Media Art Department, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw The Laboratory for Sustainable Architectural Production, Umeå School of Architecture
• The project was a part of the inauguration ceremony launching Umeå’s Capital of Culture 2014
• Place: Friendship Park, Umeå, SE 

2013 Urban Shaman. Old Town
• Exhibition of students from Miroslaw Balka Studio of Spatial Activities
• Place: Old Town, Warsaw, PL