Ukranian Photography Exhibition at The Turnpike Gallery.

A touring exhibition of Ukrainian photographers arrives at The Turnpike presented by the Open Eye Gallery. At the heart of the exhibition are questions about the meaning of home and how we can visualize it. Curated by Max Gorbatsky and Victoria Bavyzina, the exhibition offers unique perspectives on themes such as identity, landscape, experimental art, and folk and popular culture. These themes enrich the understanding of home in a country at war, prompting a redefinition of what home means to those affected.

Presented by the Open Eye Gallery, the exhibition has toured various cities across the UK, including Liverpool, Salford, Leeds, Rochdale, and Edinburgh, and will conclude with a visit to the House of Parliament in March 2025. Curators Max and Viktoria, an art critic and former visual arts curator at the Grynyov Art Collection in Kyiv, have selected images from commissioned works by artists who photographed their homes in 2023. This exhibition provides insights into Ukraine’s recent history, highlighting the annexation of Crimea and the full-scale invasion by Russia.

Alexander Chekmenev’s piece “Citizens of Kyiv” (2018) captures the faces of everyday people caught in the midst of conflict. The photographs portray expressions of contemplation amid the chaos, as citizens pause to reflect not only on the situation their country is facing but also on their personal circumstances. With backdrops of boarded-up windows and sandbags, they hold tightly to their belongings, hoping for a brighter tomorrow. These images depict faces emerging from darkness rather than those who are engulfed in it.

Daria Sventilova’s “Temporary Homes” is an ongoing documentary project that began in 2019. Her work focuses on the younger Ukrainian generation and their living environments, which she views as a reflection of broader social and political changes within Ukraine. The country is leaving behind its Soviet past and embracing an uncertain future.

The photographs depict student dormitories and their inhabitants, which were constructed during the Soviet era. The harsh Soviet architecture, combined with the experiences of the new generation, illustrates the transition the country is undergoing. Sventilova aims to acknowledge the past while also looking forward to the future.Through her work, Sventilova seeks to challenge the stereotypical, harsh photojournalism often associated with war, opting instead to show a new era that does not allow the conflict to define its narrative.

The exhibition leaves audiences questioning the meaning of home, whether that relates to identity, landscape, art, popular culture, or a combination of these elements. How do you find your sense of home when your country faces the threat of invasion? The exhibition highlights a nation that is willing to acknowledge its past and current situation while striving to move beyond a conflict-driven narrative toward a brighter future.

The Ukrainian photography exhibition runs until January 25th at The Turnpike Gallery.