Results of two-year Stand With Ukraine programme in France

The two-year Stand With Ukraine program, initiated by the Diagonal network in partnership with Odesa Photo Days and supported by the French Ministry of Culture, the French Institute, ADAGP and SAIF, came to an end in December. From April 29, 2022, to the end of 2023, we organized 27 exhibitions of Ukrainian documentary and artistic photography in 10 regions of France (37 events in total including artists talk and photo screenings).

The exhibition “Calm Waters” by Andriy Lomakin, Castelnaudary, under auspieces of Graph CMI Association

20 educational and artistic institutions, 13 of them are members of the Diagonal network, joined the organization of the events. Thanks to this cooperation, French audiences were able to learn about the young photographic scene, see stories from Ukraine and the work of authors during the war. In addition to drawing attention to the events in Ukraine, the total fees’ fund for Ukrainian artists exceeded 30 000 euros.

Erika Negrel, Directrice of Diagonal Network: “Freedom, respect for rights and independence are values to which the Diagonal network has been attached since its foundation. As soon as the Russian army invaded Ukraine, we were stunned, and it became urgent to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukrainian photographers. This is how the Stand With Ukraine project was born. Thanks to the energy of Kateryna Radchenko, her entire team and the organisations dedicated to photography across France and others partners, we were able in a very short space of time to stand up with a concrete and immediate support program for Ukraine”.

The exhibition at Centre Claude Cahun, Daria Svertilova.

52 Ukrainian photographers were featured in the exhibitions and accompanying events: Alex Blanco, Maxim Dondyuk, Yana Kononova, Olga Kukush, Oksana Nevmerzhytska, Elena Subach, Daria Svertilova, Andriy Lomakin, Alina Smutko, Taras Bychko, Nazar Furyk, Vitaliy Galanzha, Olia Koval, Oleksandr Navrotskyi, Mykhaylo Palinchak, Xenia Petrovska, Viacheslav Poliakov, Polina Polikarpova, Anna Pylypyuk and Volodymyr Shypotilnykov, Shilo Group (Sergiy Lebedynskyy & Vladyslav Krasnoshchok), Valerii Veduta, Oksana Parafeniuk, Igor Efimov, Sasha Kurmaz, Sergiy Melnichenko, Valeriy Miloserdov, Roman Pyatkovka, Mila Teshaieva, Yulia Chervinska, Natali Agryzkova, Didenko Anastasiia, Daryna Berdynskykh, Maryna Brodovska, Olga Chekaryeva, Sofiya Chotyrbok, Kateryna Doroshyna, Lia Dostlieva, Eva Dzhyshyashvili, Liza Gasyuk, Yulia Kysil, Svitlana Levchenko, Ira Lupu, Maryna Masel, Olena Morozova, Rita Niki, Krystyna Sahirova, Maryna Shtanko, Olena Shved, Iryna Yeroshko, Olga Zarko.

We appreciate the trust of all the authors, their contribution to the development of Ukrainian photography and their tireless work during the full-scale invasion.

We hope that the new acquaintances, professional and personal contacts born during the Stand With Ukraine program will grow into new projects, creative tandems and mutual enrichment of Ukrainian and French cultures.

Cover photo: Thibaut Chapotot. “Foreboding Landscape” exhibition, Palais de Tokyo, Paris.

Daria Svertilova, «Tell them about battles, meteors, and eggplant caviar» exhibition, Stimultania space, Strasbourg.

The “Grandmothers” exhibition by Elena Subach, Diaphane Festival les Photaumnales, Beauvais.

«Tell them about battles, meteors, and eggplant caviar» exhibition at Le Carré D’art gallery, Chartres-De-Bretagne.

«Tell them about battles, meteors, and eggplant caviar» exhibition opening, Stimultania space, Strasbourg. Marc Meinau.