One of the main areas of work of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) is educational, social, research and cultural projects aimed at the development and popularization of Ukrainian photographic art.
Our goal is to become a world recognized center of Ukrainian photography, which contributes to its development, raising the level of professionalism of photographers and promotion of Ukrainian cultural values in the international photographic community.
Education
The program includes four mentorship courses and a final competition for participants. After that, we will provide financial support of €8,000 to Ukrainian photographers who create projects related to the theme of war. First and foremost, we will support authors who do not have regular access to equipment and resources, giving them additional opportunities to continue their work.
Exhibitions
The Ukrainian Atelier of Culture and Sports, in collaboration with the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) and the Innovation Fund in Arts of the Ministry of Science, Research and Arts of Baden-Württemberg, presented a series of exhibition projects that served as a photo diary from occupied Mariupol. These projects were exhibited in Stuttgart and Dresden, Germany.
Books
The photobook, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence, was published with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Book Institute. It contains more than 140 unique documentary photographs from over 60 Ukrainian photographers, arranged chronologically from the proclamation of Ukraine's independence to the present day.
Exhibitions
The exhibition project took place in New York and was realized in collaboration with the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP), Howl Arts, and Yara Arts Group. The exhibition showcased photographs and videos by Myroslav Chernov and Yevhen Maloletka.
Education
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) and Chekachkov Photo Academy presented a series of lectures by Myroslav Chernov: "Photography as a Tool of Manipulation." Manipulations in the media can occur even without the pressure of censors. The flow of images is everywhere; it defines trends and tastes and influences changes in political regimes. The media constructs reality and has the power to shape the course of history.
Exhibitions
With the support of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP), an exhibition by Ukrainian photographer Ihor Chekachkov took place. His images have been published by Forbes, National Geographic, The Guardian, Le Monde, and other international media. NA4JOPM8 is a series of photographs that unites images of fragments of reality from various spheres, ranging from protest events on Maidan in Kharkiv to intimate scenes from private life.
Exhibitions
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) partnered with Chekachkov Photo Academy to hold a competition for the best visual diary created during quarantine. The result was a group online exhibition titled "Those Who Are Alone," featuring the best photographs taken as part of the competition initiated by Chekachkov Photo Academy.
Exhibitions
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) supported the creation of the exhibition "Producing Dreams or What the Modern Media Machine Offers." The project provides an artistic reflection on contemporary media reality and is based on research into how mass media influences our ability to perceive the surrounding world.
Exhibitions
In this project, we explore the chronicles of war in Ukraine, witnessed by dozens of Ukrainian photographers. Their photographs have helped create a unique artistic space that will mark the beginning of a new era in Ukraine's history and present it to the world. The virtual gallery features both well-known images that have become part of global history and those that have yet to be published. Each photograph symbolizes the struggle, unity, and resilience of the Ukrainian people.
Exhibitions
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) in collaboration with the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of India implemented an exhibition titled "Ukraine Now: Darkness vs Light. Children Dream about Peace", which opened on April 14, 2022. The Polish Institute in India, the Pharmaceutical Company "Kusum", and representatives of the Ukrainian community in India served as partners and partial sponsors for the exhibition.
Exhibitions
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP), in collaboration with Ukrainischer Verein Mainz e.V. and photographer David Yampolsky, realized a photo exhibition dedicated to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It was presented on May 14, 2022, at the Gutleut gallery in Mainz, Germany. The Kyiv Photography School and the National Society of Photo Artists of Ukraine also joined the organization of the exhibition.
Exhibitions
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP), in collaboration with the Ukrainian Student Society "Sich" and the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine in Graz, have realized a series of photo exhibitions titled "Moments Among the Ruins. Documentary Photographs from Ukraine. People at War." These exhibitions are dedicated to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The displays were presented at the premises of the University of Graz named after Karl-Franz and the Technical University of Graz.
Exhibitions
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP), in collaboration with the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Cyprus, organized a series of exhibitions titled "Tragedy of the 21st century in the centre of Europe", which took place in the cities of Nicosia, Sotira, and Larnaca. The events were charitable, and visitors had the opportunity to donate to the Journalism Emergency Fund, which supports journalists and photographers.
Exhibitions
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP), in collaboration with the Society of Ukrainians in Finland, the media project Ukraїner, and individual photographers, have realized the exhibition "The Price of Freedom", which opened on June 11, 2022, at the Central Railway Station in Helsinki.
Exhibitions
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP), in collaboration with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, PinchukArtCentre, the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and the online publication "Ukrainska Pravda", implemented a project presenting an exhibition about Russia's war crimes in Ukraine. The opening of the "Russian War Crimes House" took place on May 23, 2022, in Davos, Switzerland.
Exhibitions
On July 8, within the framework of the annual WARM Festival 2022, the "Mariupol" exhibition was opened, featuring works by documentarians and this year's laureates of the Georgiy Gongadze Prize — Mstyslav Chernov and Yevhen Maloletka. The festival took place in Sarajevo, in the building of the Red Cross Society.
Exhibitions
On September 29, at the Ukrainian House in Kyiv, the opening of the photo exhibition "Spalah. Ukrainian Photography Today" took place. The project was implemented by the National Center "Ukrainian House" and the NGO "Platform for Cultural Initiatives" in cooperation with the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers and with the support of the Press, Education, and Culture Department of the US Embassy in Ukraine.
Exhibitions
As part of this year's Czech Photo Festival, on October 12, an exhibition titled "The Siege of Mariupol - The Last Journalists in the Occupied City" was opened at the Czech Photo Center Gallery in Prague. The exhibition features world-renowned works by Mstislav Chernov and Yevhen Maloletka. The project was realized by the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) in cooperation with Czech Photo and the Association of Professional Photographers of the Czech Republic (APF).
Exhibitions
A large-scale exhibition of the members of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers entitled "They are fighting for us too" was organized in the Czech Republic, Belgium and the United States. The exhibition features more than 200 photographs documenting the vivid evidence of Russia's aggression and genocide, the lives of ordinary people in the war, and the brave struggle of our people not only for their own freedom but also for the freedom of the entire world.
Books
The photo book Brave to Bring the Light, about the most difficult winter in the history of independent Ukraine so far, includes photographs by more than 30 Ukrainian authors who documented the energy crisis caused by the Russian military's attack on Ukrainian infrastructure facilities during the fall of 2022, winter and spring of 2023.
Exhibitions
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPF) in cooperation with the Bereznitsky Art Foundation organized a charity exhibition "Ukrainian Guernica", which was opened at the Factory Gallery, Tbilisi. The project was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and under the patronage of the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.
Exhibitions
The exhibition project presents the richness of Ukrainian photography over five decades. It begins in the 70s, at a time when Ukrainian visual art began to publicly express its own language, and ends with the war that is currently engulfing the country. "Ukraine - The Path to Freedom" visualizes key events in the history of Ukraine and examines the development of photography during this period.
Exhibitions
On the occasion of the Holodomor Remembrance Day, the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers in cooperation with the Center for Austrian-Ukrainian Cultural Studies, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Austria, the Ukrainian Student Society "Sich" in Graz and the Ukrainian Research and Education Center for Holodomor Studies (HREC) created a documentary exhibition "The Holodomor and War. Ukraine in 1932-1933 and 2022".
Exhibitions
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) in cooperation with the Museum of Modern History in Germany opened a major exhibition project "INDEPENDENCE! Photographs of Ukraine 1991-2022". The works presented at the exhibition show that the outbreak of war in 2022 is not the beginning, but a dramatic escalation of the long-standing conflict between the two states.
Exhibitions
Photo exhibition "Defenders of Independence" organized by the Strategic Communications Department of the Chief Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in partnership with the Ukrainian association of professional photographers, FORMOGRAFIA DESIGN STUDIO and How Production.
Books
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPF) in cooperation with The Ukrainians published a special issue of Reporters magazine, which brought together the most powerful documentary footage of the Ukrainian struggle for freedom. The issue includes 155 photographs by the country's leading photographers, as well as texts by Dmytro Kuleba, Oleksandra Matviychuk, Serhiy Plokhiy, Volodymyr Yermolenko, Olena Stiazhkina, and Olesya Khromeichuk.
Research Projects
A media and archival project that demonstrated the importance of the transformations our country is going through, as well as the value of documentary photography, which during the war is not just a source of evidence of events, but a powerful weapon against propaganda and falsification of history.
Exhibitions
An exhibition project created in cooperation between the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPF) and IST Publishing, which is being implemented as part of the presentation of the book of the same name, which reflects the life of Ukraine during the difficult period of winter blackouts in 2022-2023, as well as the courage of energy workers and every citizen of Ukraine.
Exhibitions
WEYUAPP is an art project created by Italian photographer Lisa Borgiani in partnership with the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP). The project is a continuation of the series "What does Europe mean to you?" (WEY), which explores the sense of European identity through personal stories and visual images of European citizens.
Books
The book was created in cooperation between the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) and the Ukrainian House. The publication includes works by Ukrainian photographers taken during the two years since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops.
Exhibitions
The project is dedicated to the tragedy of the city of Bakhmut that took place in 2022, as well as to honoring the memory of the victims of the Bakhmut Babyn Yar, a horrific crime committed by the Nazis in 1942. This exhibition aims to unite the two genocides in one space and draw parallels between them.
Exhibitions
The photo exhibition was created in cooperation with the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP), FRONTLINE PBS and the Associated Press. The exhibition featured the works of Ukrainian documentary photographers, UAPF members and Pulitzer Prize winners Mstislav Chernov and Yevhen Malolletka.
Social Projects
In 2014, the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) became a partner of the international photo contest Wiki Loves Earth. "Wiki Loves Earth" is a photo competition dedicated to Ukraine's natural monuments. The main objective of the contest is to create as comprehensive a database of photographs of natural landmarks and objects of the nature reserve fund in Ukraine as possible under a free license for illustrating Wikipedia and other projects.
Social Projects
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) in partnership with the Ronald McDonald House Charity supported the All-Ukrainian Pajama Day, an event that annually brings together thousands of people to help children stay close to their families during treatment.
Social Projects
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPF) has become a partner of the festival "From Country to Ukraine", which aims to help local communities in eastern Ukraine fill their cities with an atmosphere of unity, support and a sense of Ukrainian spirit.
Social Projects
The aim of the project is to draw society's and authorities' attention to the problem of the decline of valuable buildings and to promote the work of Ukrainian photographers and the history of Ukrainian photography. Using the empty windows of an abandoned building as frames for photographs is a synthesis of photography and architecture. They enrich each other with new meanings and seem to speak to the observer: "conscious effort to preserve history is necessary in all areas of our nation's cult"
Research Projects
The "Ukrainian Archival Photography" project is a non-commercial initiative of the public organization "Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers" (UAPP). The project aims to research and popularize Ukrainian archival photography, create a comprehensive view of photography's development in Ukraine, and promote the culture of preserving and studying photographic heritage.
UAPP is an independent association of professional Ukrainian photographers, designed to protect their interests, support, develop and promote Ukrainian photography as an important element of national culture.
UAPP's activities span educational, social, research and cultural initiatives, as well as book publishing.
UAPP represents Ukrainian professional photography in the international photographic community and is an official member of the Federation of European Photographers (FEP) — an international organization representing more than 50,000 professional photographers in Europe and other countries around the world.