“Contra Spem Spero. Stories from Ukraine” Exhibition Opens in Rome

On June 27 the photo exhibition “Contra Spem Spero. Stories from Ukraine” curated by Kateryna Radchenko from Odesa Photo Days Festival (Odesa, Ukraine) opens in Rome. 11 Ukrainian photographers share their documentary and artistic projects about life during the wartime.

Artists: Lyubov Durakova, Nazar Furyk, Kateryna Aleksieienko, Alena Grom, Gera Artemova, Mykhailo Palinchak, Elena Subach, Pavlo Dorohoi, Serhiy Korovainyi, Dmytro Tolkachov, Volodymyr Petrov.

You will see stories about Ukrainian documentary woman filmmaker who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine, people in Kyiv region dealing with the public space and their homes that has changed dramatically due the war, Ukrainian refugees in Poland, personal visual diary and many more.

The title of the exhibition references the text by classic Ukrainian poet Lesia Ukrainka wriiten in 1890. The poem is a monologue by the author who proclaims the spirit of hope and opposition to all troubles even in the hardest circumstances. The exhibition is divided into three parts: Struggle, Hope and Aftermath. Each of them speaks about the new reality and adaptation to life during the war, about the struggle for the existence of the country, about the traumatic experiences and the hope that motivates them to keep on living.

The exhibition “Contra Spem Spero. Stories from Ukraine” is organised by the international festival of contemporary photography Odesa Photo Days (Ukraine) and the Azienda Speciale Palaexpo, an operational entity answering to the City of Rome in collaboration with the Representations of the European Parliament and the European Commission, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden, and the Embassy of Ukraine in Italy.

“Contra Spem Spero. Stories from Ukraine”

27 June — 27 August 2023

Free admission

OPENING — 27 June, 11:30 AM

HOURS
Tue – Sun, 11:00 AM – 08:00 PM

Mattatoio di Roma
Piazza Orazio Giustiniani, 4, Pavilion 9b

Photo by Alena Grom, “Stolen Spring” series.