'Ukraine: the path to freedom'

The story begins in the 1970s, when Ukrainian visual art began to openly express its own language. From the moment the country's visual language begins to free itself from the imposed yoke of the Soviet Union, Ukrainian photographers make clear how art is at once autonomous and a mirror of the turbulent society in which it is created. Socio-political and artistic life are closely connected in this country. From the Soviet Union and its fall, to the Orange Revolution, the Maidan protests and the current war: the political climate in Ukraine has always been fraught, and this is reflected in the photographers' work.

On Feb. 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion from the south, east and north with missile attacks throughout Ukraine. The still ongoing war completely turned daily life upside down and affected the lives of all Ukrainians, artists, photographers and journalists included. Artists who had never worked in conflict zones turned into war photographers. They had to document the destruction of their hometowns and the violent deaths of their fellow citizens.