Lviv photographer Yurko Dyachishin documents life during the war from the first hours of the full-scale Russian invasion. In particular, he photographs how the usual landscapes of his native city of Lviv are changing under the aggressive action of war. Yurko Dyachishin spoke about his work on the War Nouveau project, about the limits of aesthetics in wartime and why he does not believe that one photograph can stop the war, but he very much hopes that he is wrong.
— When did you start documenting the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war?
— Photographing a full-scale war began literally from the first hours. The first plots are queues at ATMs and at petrol stations. At this point, it was completely unclear how events would develop further and how long it would all last. It was difficult even to imagine the scale of the events that our country would have to overcome.
— What aspects of full-scale war do you think are important to preserve, document?
— It is important to capture all aspects of the war and everything that is possible down to the smallest nuances. Topics and events that now seem minor and minor can be of great value even after a short period of time.
— How to show with photos the war in your hometown of Lviv, which is located far from the front line? What markers of war are present in your photos?
— Of course, the visual row and rear markers are different. However, there are many of them, both obvious and not. For example, well understood and visible is the military cemetery located near the city center, as well as the funerals of soldiers and civilians who died in the war.
— How much is it possible now to realize and relive the experience that a full-scale war leaves to capture, to reflect it through photographs?
As far as I'm concerned, it's all very individual. Some of the artists react instantly, while others will be able to reflect some time, or even many years after the end of the war.
— Are the photographs you take during the war a document of time or a subjective statement?
Photographs are a subjective document. Everything in the world is subjective! Every author, journalist, editor, curator or politician has his own personal vision of everything. It all depends on which “window” you are looking from — from the window of the tank or Ferrari car, from the window of a hospital or hotel in a resort, etc. My subjective view of a tragic event in my country may differ from my personal view of the same event, for example, a photographer from New York.
— To what extent can photography be aesthetically pleasing if we are talking about preserving the memory of tragic events?
— There can be no aesthetic demarcation of boundaries if we are talking about preserving the memory of tragic events. Because then we will enter into a discussion about the limits of the aesthetics of the photographs of the concentration camps of the Second World War. Aesthetics and its limits can be the subject of discussions of a rich and peaceful time!
Today in our country we live in an unaesthetic and unethical time. Someone lives according to the rules of wartime, and his boundaries of aesthetics are appropriate, and someone “pretends” that he lives in a different territory and in a second time and “requires” a different aesthetic. The boundaries of perception of aesthetics in Kharkiv and Mariupol may differ and have not the same interpretation as in Lviv, but another, for example, in Luxembourg. Aesthetics or antiesthetics are not mandatory for consumption, so there is no definition and standard. Only place and time are important.
— The full-scale war in Ukraine is now being filmed by quite a lot of photographers, both Ukrainian and foreign. Do you think that certain “stamps” have already formed in the shooting? How difficult is it to shoot something new now?
“The full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war is not the first war in which photographers work. The “stamps” have been formed a long time ago, only the scenery and elements that are present in the frame change. The technique and speed of information dissemination have changed, including due to the large number of amateur photos and videos from smartphones. Speed is perhaps one of the main “stamps” today. Another aspect is the perception of permissible limits of photo processing: blacked frames and their use by “fashion legislators” have become visually familiar, which also forms certain patterns and their boundaries.
If we talk about creative creative approaches, then you can always find something new, despite how much everything has already been done to date. The actual changes of scenery and time, when everything happens, also set a new tone, vision and meaning.
----Tell me, please, when did you take the first photo from the War Nouveau series? When exactly did you decide to combine the photos into a project?
— I started photographing with the appearance of these objects (sandbags, taped windows, protective structures around sculptures, etc.) on the streets of Lviv in the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion. These objects have become obvious elements of an aggressive change in the surrounding space. For a long time, it was just documentation, a kind of collection. At first, these newly created objects were constant unpleasant triggers: each time they caught the eye, they were reminded of war. However, over time, you begin to get used to them, as well as to other things, and to perceive them as one of the permanent architectural elements.
When I began to perceive these objects as a sustainable architectural form, some of them I even “liked”, personal favorites appeared. It seems that they are an integral part of the facade and that has always been the case — now it is impossible to imagine an urban space without sandbags. Then I began to shape this series and look more closely at simple and unpretentious, at first glance, forms, to watch how they break down over time, or how they are patched, strengthened, repaired, and they still remain. I started looking for different allegories and references with which to tell about something more.
Why is it called War Nouveau?
— War Nouveau (a play on the words War and Art Nouveau) is a term coined by me for a fictional “architectural style”, namely for protective temporary structures (most often sandbags), which have now become part of the new urban landscape as the architectural form that surrounds us.
— Please tell me why the series was shot in monochrome? Did you originally see War Nouveau as black and white?
— At first I made a selection in color and did not want to deviate from the most documentary visual language. However, I could not accept such a version and postponed this series for a long time until later. Subsequently, I made a simple monochrome black and white version, which I liked even less, and I postponed these works again. Next, I tried to move away from a certain decorativeness and looked at these photos with squinted eyes, as if from a terrible “dream”, and made them aggressive-contrasting with the emphasized vignetting. Then I felt this series, realized that I could convey certain messages to the viewer. In fact, I do not position War Nouveau as a documentary project with reference to Lviv, but as more abstract and with broader messages.
— I found a comment in your social networks that the image on one of the photos of the War Nouveau project reminds the reader of Michelangelo's sculpture “Pieta”. How much is it coincidence or coincidence? What meanings do you put in these photos?
— Maybe it's a coincidence, and maybe it's my amazement with various classical works that influences the choice of frames. In any case, I am pleased that not only am I fantasizing and seeing something else there, besides a bag of sand or tape that binds the plastic film.
— When will the project be completed and do you plan to create a photo book or exhibition of photos of the War Nouveau series?
It can be assumed that the project is ready. I will, of course, continue to photograph and add new works, replace old ones with others, look for more spectacular or simpler ones, depending on how I see it. As for the exhibition, I will do it on the first favorable occasion or offer.
— How important and is it possible to maintain interest in the war in Ukraine with the help of photography? Which photos do you think work best for a foreign audience?
— This has already been said many times — about the fatigue of the public of other countries from the war and from information about the war in Ukraine. It is necessary to look for new forms and approaches, so to speak, ways to the heart. Most often, we do not know which photo, when and who may have influenced in making this or that decision. We must use all means to break through this “wall”. Unfortunately, I am one of those photographers who does not believe that one photo can be taken that will stop the war. However, secretly I really hope that I am wrong.
What inspires you to keep working now?
— There is no mood — everything seems meaningless. However, I often repeat the expression: “Everything that is now postponed is automatically lost.” So I took it for myself as a slogan that makes me try to think and do something creative.
Material created with support The Free Word Foundation.
The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Katya Moskalyuk
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