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- “Flooded Memories” series
Hladkyi Mykola, Hladka Yuliia
When we, along with volunteers, were clearing the ruins of houses after the horrors of war and the flood caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Station by Russian soldiers, we literally stumbled upon a piece of the past—family photo albums.
Almost all black-and-white photographs became mere blank sheets due to the water, but several dozen images from the albums of the 90s survived, though not without the consequences of prolonged exposure to water. In one of the albums, photographs show a man in a wheelchair and on crutches; it later turned out that he was the brother of the woman we helped clean the house. Once, he and his sister lived in the same yard, and his house, located closer to the river, was severely damaged by the flood.
At 25, the brother became disabled due to a motorcycle accident. For two decades, despite his physical limitations, he raised his son, who can also be seen in the photo. After the father’s death, the son became the owner of the house. With the onset of the full-scale invasion, he joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but later was captured. After his release and a brief rehabilitation, he returned to service. Unfortunately, his further fate is unknown. Material provided with the permission of the homeowner.
Authors: Yuliia Hladka, Mykola Hladkyi
Mykola Hladkyi was born in 1988 in Dnipro, Ukraine. He lives in Kyiv and has an education in international economic relations. His artistic practice evolved around 2018 when he began experimenting with analog photography and alternative photographic methods. This became part of a search for a broader set of tools for conveying aesthetic and conceptual ideas.
In 2020, he became part of the MYPH photography school in Mykolaiv, later attending a photography course by Roman Piatkovka in 2021. The artist’s goal is to create expressive images that stimulate thoughts and provoke discussions about the role of technology in shaping reality. He combines traditional photographic techniques with cutting-edge technologies such as machine learning and computer vision to engage viewers in critical reflections on their relationships with technology and its impact on life.
Education
2020-2021 MYPH 5 – Art Photography Course
2021 Photography Course by Roman Piatkovka
Yuliia Hladka is an artist, photographer, and organizer of the volunteer initiative “Mystetska Rukhanka,” which focuses on the cultural and artistic development of children in de-occupied areas of Kherson.
Yuliia’s creative journey began with the realization that photography can serve as a powerful medium to express a personal perspective and perception of the world, transforming into a personal narrative, while also becoming a unique artistic work in itself.
Exhibitions of Mykola Hladkyi
2021 “Displacement and Variation” by KUCA and ACT, Kyiv, Ukraine
2023 “Essence” by omatagallery, curator’s selection
2023 “Memory” at Mykolaiv ART Week, Mykolaiv, Ukraine
2023 “FLASH 9” by Decagon Gallery
2023 “2023 Photo Annual” by Gwinnett Public Library, Atlanta, USA
2023 “Materiality Revealed” by Li Tang Gallery
2023 “Ukraine” by Decagon Gallery
2024 “Depths of the Psyche,” Lutsk, Ukraine
2024 Ukrainian Photographers, Palermo, Italy
2024 “Post-Archiving,” Vinnytsia, Ukraine
2024 Open Theme 2024 issue of F-Stop magazine
2024 “FLASH 17” by Decagon Gallery
2024 Δia Kinets, Hamburg, Germany
Awards
2023 “RPS IPE 165,” United Kingdom, shortlisted
2023 “NIDA OFF” at NIDA 2023, Lithuania, shortlisted (additional list)
2023 MINIMALIST PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2023, “Photo Manipulation” category (honorable mention)
Publications
“MYPH. Mykolaiv Young Photography,” 2022.
“Conceptual Photography,” Lusia Bondar, Serhii Melnychenko, 2024.