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Tbilisi Photography & Multimedia Museum M. Kostava 14., Hotel "Stamba", D block, Second floor.
Let me show you something beautiful: Ethics and esthetics in "war photography" in Ukraine and Georgia
On October 10, 19:00, we invite you to the discussion and screening of the works of Ukrainian photographers "Let me show you something beautiful". Ainur Sakisheva, Maria Horshkova, Oksana Kami, Oleksandr Osipov, Olena Lemberska, Sergey Melnitchenko, Stanislav Ostrous document the results of the ongoing war in Ukraine, although none of them were war photographers before that.
"Let me show you something beautiful" is the name of the mobile gallery without a permanent space run by the artistic group Boullion Group from Tbilisi. A few projects have already been shown by this gallery which were challenging the concept of "beauty", but the recent one confronted the name and the content in an especially sharp and controversial way - "Let me show you something beautiful" was showing the works of contemporary photographers from Ukraine which were reflecting the current stage of the Russian war against Ukraine. Is there anything beautiful about the war to be shown? Let's discuss it - on 10th of October, at 19:00 Tbilisi time.
- War often creates sharp contrasts between destruction and resilience, and these paradoxes can be visually striking. How to avoid romanisation and aestheticization of war while showing its "good" side?
- War creates expectations to show (and see) some stereotypical pictures of destruction and suffering. Which ethical navigation compass do the photographers use in order to avoid the so-called "ruin porn" or "war porn" in their practice?
- When speaking about Ukrainian and Georgian photographers, they are working with the events they're sharing and co-owning. Besides that, photography as a medium is something offering the artist only a very short or no distance. How do photographers protect themselves from re-traumatisation while including into their artistic practice experiences they are sharing?
Exhibition and discussion is presented within the framework of the international art project Sense of Safety and its Bridge of Solidarity program, with support of YermilovCentre, Ambasada Kultury, Danish Cultural Institute, Antiworcoalition.art and Tbilisi Photography & Multimedia Museum.
Free entry. Discussion will be held in English.