Salford University to host international meeting on Ukrainian photography

An international meeting will be held at Salford University next month to celebrate the work of Ukrainian photographers.

Academic researchers, art practitioners and photographers from Ukraine and abroad have been invited to a two-day event at the New Adelphi Theatre on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 March. The meeting aims to shed light on and discuss the variety of practices shaping photography in Ukraine.

Anastasiia Manuliak, Head of Visual Art at the Ukrainian Institute, said: “During Russia’s war in Ukraine, art and culture have become the fulcrum of social resistance, with photography playing an exception role as a medium that both reflects and captures the essence of the times.

The symposium programme specifically focuses on Ukrainian documentary photographers, aiming to provide a deeper understanding not only of the evolution and trends in Ukrainian photography but also of the social and historical context of Ukrainian art.”

Funded by the UK/UA Creative Partnerships programme designed by the British Council and the Ukrainian Institute, the meeting will focus on documentary photography as a decolonial practice and its capability to capture historic events.

It will also aim to establish a network of internationally leading curators and researchers interested in working with Ukrainian photography and visual culture.

Sam Ingleson, an Associate Dean at Salford University, said: “The University through its established partnership with Open Eye Gallery is honoured to be chosen as the venue for this international symposium that brings together leading figures from Ukrainian photography and visual culture together as we widen international awareness and understanding about this subject.

“I would urge all academics, photographers or those with an interest in Ukrainian culture and photography to seek to attend this event and learn more about how this medium is being used to capture the nation’s voice during this time in its history.”

For those unable to attend in person, the symposium will be live streamed via Open Eye Gallery’s YouTube channel.