Underfoot

Focusing on the lasting imprint of war on the natural world and on life under constant threat, Vitalii Halanzha exposes the frequent danger that persists as Russian weapons continue daily attacks across Ukraine. Shot in dim and fragmentary light, the images direct the viewer’s gaze downward. The sky is almost absent, replaced by the ground. Scattered across it are the remnants of Russian drones, missiles, and mines collected from the Kyiv region and the frontline, rearranged into quiet, haunting compositions. Light and shadow act as agents of transformation, concealing and revealing information, forcing viewers to search for signs of danger and safety. The images confront beholders with primal fears of the dark and evoke the uneasy terrain of living in wartime. The work references the legacy of early war photography, particularly Roger Fenton’s staged images of the Crimean War. By echoing these methods, Vitalii challenges the role of the photographer as a mere witness, revealing the inherent subjectivity in capturing and framing reality. It resists the tradition of showcasing bodily harm or destroyed cities - images that risk slipping into spectacle or voyeurism. Instead, it turns our attention to nature, where the fallout of war is less documented but equally brutal. Nature here serves as a mise-en-scene for the remnants of hostile metal, as a space where humans, animals, and plant life alike are subjected to violence, poisoning, and collapse. Underfoot lingers in uncertainty, reflecting a reality where danger remains buried, sometimes literally beneath the surface.