Espresso Editions No. 4 – Anastasia Samoylova

EXILE Books and Books & Books are thrilled to host the next Espresso Editions on February 23!

This month, we are excited to welcome artist Anastasia Samoylova as our guest speaker. Through her acclaimed monographs—FloodZone, Floridas, Image Cities, and Adaptation—Samoylova explores themes of climate change, cultural identity, and the evolving visual language of cities. We’ll discuss her artistic approach, creative process, and how she harnesses publishing as a platform to share her vision with a wider audience.

Moderated by Amanda Keeley, Espresso Editions invites artists, designers, and curators to delve into their inspirations, creative journeys, and the challenges of making art in an era of cultural and environmental transformation. Join us for an intimate, coffee-fueled conversation on the power of photography, storytelling, and advocacy through books.

Espresso Editions is generously supported by the City of Coral Gables and celebrates the vibrant voices and processes behind the independent publishing movement in South Florida.

About Anastasia

Anastasia Samoylova is an American artist (b. 1984, Russia) who alternates between observational photography and studio practice. A survey of her work was presented at the Saatchi Gallery, London, from November 4, 2024, to January 20, 2025. Her exhibition, 'Floridas: Anastasia Samoylova and Walker Evans,' is on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, from October 14, 2024, to May 11, 2025.

Upon relocating to Miami, Florida, in 2016, she pursued observational photographic practice, leading to her first monograph, FloodZone, which formed a study on the visualization of environmental threats posed to flood-risked communities in Miami and beyond. In her Floridas project, she gestures toward the state of Florida itself, forming a kaleidoscopic and contradictory portrait of how the state’s unique cultural and political psyche manifests in visual form. In 2023, Samoylova produced the Image Cities project, in which she trained her lens globally within some of the world’s most significant urban centers while examining the images that cover their surfaces.

Her work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Perez Art Museum, Miami; High Museum of Art, Atlanta; and Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago; among others. Published monographs include FloodZone (Steidl, 2019), Floridas (Steidl, 2022), Image Cities (Fundación Mapfre/Hatje Cantz 2023), and Adaptation (Thames & Hudson, 2024).

Host or Publisher EXILE Books