Contemporary conceptual photography in Ukraine has emerged as a powerful medium for exploring identity, memory, and transformation in a nation caught between its Soviet past and an uncertain future. Since independence in 1991, Ukrainian photographers have moved beyond documentary traditions to create work that interrogates questions of national belonging, historical trauma, and the construction of cultural narratives.

Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 has further transformed the landscape of Ukrainian conceptual photography, with artists working both within the country and in diaspora to create powerful visual statements about war, survival, and the fight for self-determination.

All three artists represented here for this exhibition, are considered as emerging artists. All their artistic life, Veronika, Tania and Olya were and are confronted with the invasion by imperialist Russia. But at the same time, especially we in Western Europe, must not make the mistake of seeing their art as a reflection of the horrors of Putin’s war. This in fact would narrow the creative visions not only of those three artists, but of all Ukrainian arts. As a curator, I would always underline this.

Tania Bakum’s project „Before the End of the World, I Will Wash the Windows“ from 2025 represents her vision of stories about how, in nearly completely destroyed buildings and cities, people try to cling to their ordinary reality, performing simple everyday tasks. Like washing laundry (which may still be clean), wallpapering a hallway (which most likely won’t exist in a few days), or planting a garden, etc.

When she was taking photos in Kharkiv, construction workers were covering the black soot with white paint, while every building in the district was destroyed (to varying degrees)—burned, without windows, without separate apartments, without intact entrances. Through the conflict between the peaceful symbol of bed sheets drying in the yard and the images of destruction, Tania tried to convey the inner conflict that arises within a person.

Olya Koval’s work is entitled “Eruption“. The Kafkaesk description of this work by the artist herself says: „I woke up to the sudden crack of wood. Turning toward the sound, I froze in shock. The first thing I saw was a swarm of bugs erupting from the parquet — red, with an aggressively vivid color. I tried to remember their name. They could be firebugs, soldier bugs, or gendarmes all at once. The cloud of bugs settled on the furniture, crawled up the wallpaper, rummaging through things. The eruption of tens of thousands of bugs magnetized my gaze and paralyzed my body. It looked like a natural force, sweeping everything in its path. Strangely, I wasn’t afraid. It felt as if the bugs had been here since the beginning of the war.“

Veronika Mol’s project „It Could Be Silence“ (2025-ongoing) is a long-term project documenting the sky above the graves of fallen Ukrainian soldiers with an instant camera. Each square photo becomes part of a “pixel sky,” echoing the camouflage pattern of military uniforms. Instant photography — central to her practice — reflects the uniqueness of each life and the unity of many. The sky is always different, yet the same one they defended. On the back, she writes the soldier’s name, dates, and place of burial. Alongside the prints, she is creating a digital archive and personal essays.

Michael Laubsch, curator and photographer