20 years of NCU

On 12 December 2005, a group of photographers started a community with a simple yet ambitious goal: to become a collection of documentary stories. Today, 12 December 2025, the Noga Creative Union celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Twenty-five active members is not just a number. Behind it are thousands of photographs, hundreds of stories, and myriad moments saved from oblivion. It is a journey from a small association of independent photographers to an international team of outstanding authors with a global reputation, where every voice is unique and the common cause is sacred.

Our philosophy has remained unchanged since day one: every author has the right to freely express their vision. Noga is not a common style, but a common mission: to witness, explore, archive and report on the realities of our time. To do this through images of the highest visual quality, where aesthetics and informativeness are inseparable. We affirm that the power of documentary photography lies in its ability to be both art and document, without renouncing either of these principles. We believe that, according to Baudrillard, an image speaks for itself, engaging in a constant and fruitful dialogue with the word.

Our path has never been limited to the virtual world. Twenty years have been a continuous series of projects and exhibitions. We are grateful to every international and regional platform, every festival and gallery that has become a window to the world for our work. Each group exhibition was a dialogue, and each solo exhibition was a confessional monologue, together creating a polyphonic portrait of the era.

Our community consists of 25 unique perspectives, 25 masters whose names are inscribed in the contemporary history of documentary filmmaking. Their works, ranging from profound social studies to lyrical visual poems, constitute the essence of Noga. The union is, above all, a space for mutual respect, professional dialogue, and a shared belief in the power of honest representation. 

We are constantly growing, and 2025 has been particularly rich in new names — both photographers and authors whose texts give meaning to our visual heritage.

On this day, we would like to express our special gratitude and congratulations to all our documentary photographers, whose names and works make up the living history of Noga. Your dedication, your talent and your courage are the foundation on which this Union stands.

Special thanks to our viewers, curators, partners, and everyone who has followed our work with interest and trust over the years. You are our audience and our main interlocutor.Twenty years is not the end. It is a new frame in a long, continuous shot of reality. We look into the viewfinder of the future with the same excitement as on the first day.

Happy anniversary! 

We’re in no hurry…