George Ivanchenko

Dmytro Kupriyan works on the borderline between documentary reproduction of reality and conceptual methods of recording surrounding events. With the outbreak of war, Dmytro joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The new environment and conditions influenced his work. The Art of War or Rules of Caring for a Rifle project depicts everyday life on the front line, where routine is a ritual of survival and protection. The photographs are no longer simply taken by a photographer, but by a soldier who is part of this routine. Thanks to the trust and access to the private space of the military, a bridge is formed for the civilian viewer, who can try to understand everyday life on the front line. The triptychs become complete, short stories, where the combination of photographs creates a polyphony and forms a horizon of events surrounding the author.

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Anya Tsaruk is a Ukrainian photographer based in Berlin. Observing the dynamics of the war in Ukraine from afar, Anya cannot remain indifferent and has created a personal project called I Hope Your Family is Safe. At a time when thousands of families have been separated by war, distance provokes a deep level of empathy for the trauma and pain of loved ones, and the rare moments spent together become precious. Anya focuses her attention on the warm emotions of support and love between people. Her focus is on the interaction and coexistence of people in one space during wartime, when the uncertainty and unpredictability of the next day provokes an open expression of feelings. Fragments of everyday life form a story of care and trust between people, between the author and the viewer.

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Many Ukrainian photographers address the theme of urban landscape. The city has become a symbol of rapid socio-political changes in the country during the years of independence. The rapid transformation of the architectural background reflects economic and historical events. Kyiv-based artist and photographer Roma Moskalenko analyses the city during wartime. He observes the connections between monolithic structures, metal constructions and the almost invisible presence of people in these confusing labyrinths of urban buildings. This interaction is chaotic, disorderly and dynamic. The city is changing, and with it the feeling of security within it. The author attempts to capture the traces of change, the trauma in the concrete, and his own sense of anxiety during the war.

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Ruslana Kliuchko addresses the issue of ecocide during war in her project Feedback Loop. She focuses on the forests of northern Ukraine, where she comes from and where large-scale fires broke out in the autumn of 2024. A large area of the reserve is inaccessible due to replacement and proximity to combat operations. Forest fires release huge amounts of carbon dioxide, exacerbating the greenhouse effect. This, in turn, accelerates climate change and increases the likelihood of new fires, creating a dangerous ‘vicious cycle’ between fires and climate change. To visualise invisible connections, Ruslana uses satellite images and a thermal imaging camera. Graphic, vivid elements reinforce the effect of intrusion into the natural environment, and remote observation of the consequences of fires creates a feeling of helplessness.

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George Ivanchenko began his career as a military photographer in 2022, with the start of full-scale war in Ukraine. Visiting dangerous regions and combat zones, he sought formats for covering the war. The Warhole series is a personal reflection on what is happening on the front line and the processes of representing events in the media. The photographs taken through a doorway symbolise the limited view of war, forcing the viewer to focus only on certain details and leaving room for imagination. This is a critical approach, where the author notes that in order to tell the story of war, one must constantly search for new images, creating a kind of ‘pop art’ of war. It is a struggle for the viewer's attention, and the opening is only a small window into a visually limited reality.

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Members of the jury: 

Kateryna Radchenko, Director of Odesa Photo Days Festival, Independent curator

Mykhaylo Palinchak, Photographer, founder of online magazine Untitled

Daria Svertilova, Photographer, FUTURE nominees in 2025

Elena Subach, Photographer, FUTURE nominees in 2019