Kyiv will host the War/Conflict Photography Forum — here’s what’s on the agenda

From October 15 to 18, Kyiv’s Dovzhenko Centre will host the Impact Kyiv War/Conflict Photography Forum, presented by the Ukrainian House of Photography and the French Institute in Ukraine. The program features two exhibitions as well as talks and panel discussions on photography and documenting war

The first edition of Impact Kyiv will explore how documenting wars and conflicts, including Russia’s war against Ukraine, has transformed over the years.

Among the key topics highlighted by the organizers are the evolution of visual language to sustain attention during prolonged conflicts and the impact of modern technologies on visual narratives and the ethics of covering them.

About the exhibitions at Impact Kyiv

The centerpiece of the event will be the exhibition ‘War and Conflict Photography in a Time of Global Change’, which will explore how conflict coverage has evolved since 2022.

Documentary and conceptual projects exploring international conflicts from around the world were selected through an open call. The projects will help visitors learn about events in conflict zones worldwide and examine the visual approaches artists use to address sensitive topics.

The main exhibition will also feature photographs taken as part of the Behind Blue Eyes project.

Another exhibition on the program is ‘YOUR RESISTANCE. Our Common History’ by French photographer Laurent Van der Stockt. He has documented the Gulf War and conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iraq, and Syria. In recent years, he has been working in Ukraine for Le Monde. Van der Stockt’s photographs will be presented alongside archival materials.

‘War and Conflict Photography in a Time of Global Change’ and ‘YOUR RESISTANCE. Our Common History’ will be on view from October 15 through November 8.

Talks and discussions

From October 15 to 18, the forum will feature panel discussions, public talks, and meetings with Ukrainian and international photographers.

Among the speakers are Patrick Chauvel, Oleksandr Hliadielov, Edmund Clark, Laurent Van der Stockt, Hilary Roberts, Semen Kuchvara, Eleonora Beley (Ukraine War Archive), Yefrem Lukatskyi, and Nataliia Humeniuk.

Among the featured discussion topics are Military (Vernacular) Photography, Documenting War: Stories of Ukrainian Photographers, The Visual Archive of War, The Transformation of Visual Language in Wartime, The Influence of Technology on Visual Communication, and Ethics in War Photography.

The forum will also feature a screening of a film by photographer Maksym Levin and a conversation with French photojournalist Patrick Chauvel.

Check out the full Impact Kyiv schedule on the forum website. Admission is free.