You Are Our Only True Link with the Free World, 2025 - ongoing
Radio Free Europe (RFE) was established during the Cold War but is now facing closure following an order signed by American President Donald Trump on March 14, 2025.
"You Are Our Only True Link With the Free World" is a phrase from a letter reportedly sent from communist Poland to RFE in the 1950s. In this project, I reactivate the archives of this international broadcaster, which operated under the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1949 to 1971. During that period, the CIA supervised and financed RFE. Afterwards, the radio station received support from the U.S. Congress through an annual grant.
RFE has historically been the United States' most successful propaganda instrument in Europe during the Cold War. As the US increasingly diverges politically from Europe today, I aim to offer new perspectives on RFE photographs and archival materials, especially those produced for the famous fundraising campaign 'Crusade for Europe' (1950-1960).
Photographs played a vital role during the Cold War. For this reason, the RFE Public Affairs Department utilised photography for both propaganda—such as portraits of well-known actors or astronauts who visited the RFE studio—and documentation, including images from balloon-leaflet operations. Due to the secrecy surrounding radio activities and the remote border areas where some RFE operations occurred, only a select few were able to witness these events firsthand. As a result, photographs were created to bridge this gap. These images provide important insights into the workflow and special operations coordinated by RFE in Europe. They act as remnants of the Cold War, reframing the past to address important questions about the present and future.
