Odesa Photo Days nominates five Ukrainian photographers for the FUTURES 2026 platform for the second time
Odesa Photo Days Festival proudly announces the five Ukrainian photographers nominated for the international platform FUTURES 2026. For the second time, Odesa Photo Days is acting as a nominating organisation and representing Ukrainian photography within this European initiative.
FUTURES is a photography platform that brings together a consortium of European art institutions, creating a space for the professional development of artists, international exchange and long-term collaboration between artists, curators and institutions. The platform functions as an ecosystem that supports contemporary photographic practices, encourages innovation, and promotes professionalisation and the development of critical thinking.
The nomination from Odesa Photo Days was formed and submitted for consideration by:
Kateryna Radchenko – Director of the Odesa Photo Days Festival, independent curator
Mykhailo Palinchak – photographer, founder of the online magazine Untitled, participant in FUTURES 2024
Daria Svertilova – photographer, participant in FUTURES 2025
Elena Subach – artist and photographer, participant in FUTURES 2019
FUTURES 2026 nominees from Odesa Photo Days:
Anya Tsaruk
I Hope Your Family is Safe
The project emerged from the experience of living outside Ukraine during a full-scale war. At its core is a phrase of support that is heard almost daily yet has no simple answer. Anya explores themes of distance, care and emotional connection between people separated by war. Through fragments of daily life and intimate interactions, she captures moments of warmth, trust and love amidst constant uncertainty.
Dmytro Kupriyan
The Art of War or Rules of Caring for a Rifle
The project was created within the context of everyday life near the front line. Dmytro explores routine as an essential part of survival and defence. The soldiers’ daily activities – training, weapon maintenance, and domestic tasks – are arranged into triptychs that form short visual stories. The photographs are created from within the experience, where the author is part of the captured reality.
George Ivanchenko
Warhole
The series consists of photographs taken through a doorway. This technique symbolises a limited view of war and the impossibility of seeing events in their entirety. The author focuses on the details and fragments of everyday life through which the war becomes tangible. The project raises questions about the search for a new visual language to represent war and the role of the image in the contemporary media landscape.
Roma Moskalenko
oea
The project is dedicated to the experience of the city during the war. The author observes the interplay between architectural structures, infrastructure and the almost imperceptible human presence. The city emerges as a space of constant change, where the sense of security becomes unstable. The photographs capture the traces of transformation, the tension and anxiety that permeate the urban landscape.
Ruslana Kliuchko
Feedback Loop
The project focuses on the environmental consequences of the war in Ukraine. The focus is on the forests of the Sumy region, which have been affected by large-scale fires in the combat zone. Using satellite imagery and a thermal imaging camera, Ruslana visualises processes that remain invisible to the human eye. The project reveals a vicious cycle between war, forest fires and climate change, which have a long-term impact on the natural environment.
All the nominated projects explore the experience of war from different perspectives and distances. The artists address everyday life at the front, life behind the lines, urban spaces, human interactions and the environmental consequences of hostilities. The nominated photographers will gain access to the FUTURES 2026 educational programmes – training sessions, residencies, publications and participation in key photographic events across Europe.
For Odesa Photo Days, participation in the FUTURES platform is a crucial part of the festival’s international work and its support for Ukrainian photography. As a member of the platform’s consortium, the festival not only submits nominations but also participates in FUTURES’ programme, educational and networking events. This nomination continues Odesa Photo Days’ systematic work to amplify Ukrainian voices in an international context and create opportunities for long-term collaboration and the professional development of the artists.