Peckham 24, Vsesvit and Biblioteka collaborate to present a panel that brings together a diverse group of Ukrainian artists, filmmakers and independent publishers who will share their distinctive approaches to art, culture and creativity at a momentous point in their country’s history. The talk will reflect on collective struggles and solidarities in the face of Russia’s invasion and how the act of creation can become a force of resistance and resilience.
Journalist and editor Dinara Khalilova will share insights into POMIZH, an independent media project about the city of Dnipro, which focuses on topics relating to identity, cultural and historical heritage, memory, urban mythology and literature. In 2024, the first issue of POMIZH magazine was launched including texts about rethinking the historical and cultural legacy of Dnipro, its local literary myths, music community, and the images and perceptions formed around the city – and, of course, about the war.
Igor Chekachkov is a photographer interested in exploring the boundaries between public and private spaces, as well as the impact of digital technologies and algorithms on image making. Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, his focus shifted towards themes of Ukrainian identity and the concept of home. He will discuss Daily Lives of the Displaced, 100 Years of War and a new series about Ukrainian soldiers training in military camps in the UK.
Sashko Protyah is a Film Director, activist and member of FreeFilmers, a collective of filmmakers from Mariupol. He will discuss Zamotka – a zine that explores grassroots food practices, communal dining, and food related trauma caused by the war and its social and personal dimensions in the context of Mariupol’s devastation.
The panel will be moderated by Mariia Pastukh and Valentin Rajenkov. Mariia is a founder of Vsesvit, a Ukraine solidarity collective based in London, which plays an instrumental role in amplifying efforts to provide support in Ukraine and establish a community in London. Valentin is a co-director of Biblioteka, a library that collects and makes artist books, photobooks, zines, ephemera and publications on art, architecture and design available to the public.
Image credit © Igor Chekachkov from the series Daily Lives of the Displaced