Image by Anya Tsaruk from the series 'I Hope Your Family is Safe'. In memory of Kostiantyn Huzenko
For the Ukrainian people, the concept of home has acquired a profound and new meaning following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Home no longer refers merely to physical shelter; it has become essential for understanding and communicating how war has reshaped Ukraine’s social and cultural landscape.
This exhibition brings together different generations of Ukrainian artists, offering diverse approaches to photography and different understandings of what the concept of home can mean. The exhibition addresses several key moments in recent Ukrainian history, including miners’ protests in the 1990s, the Revolution of Dignity in 2013–2014, the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war that began in 2014.
These events are explored through a range of photographic approaches and methods, reflecting a plurality of artistic practices — from traditional black-and-white documentary photography to mixed-media works, as well as staged and manipulated images. Alongside these broader historical narratives are personal stories rooted in the authors’ lived experiences — those of belonging, displacement, resistance, and those of losing, searching for or finding a new home.
“With this iteration of the exhibition, we tried to think more strategically. Every Ukrainian now working with culture and history is trying to work with a decolonial approach in their work, as our history has been prescribed with a Soviet focus. We are trying to rewrite our own history to centre Ukrainian voices.”
“It’s very important that people in the UK and beyond see images of people from Ukraine and living in Ukraine, to foster support. Culture has a responsibility to show these stories and these authentic voices.”
After the full-scale Russian invasion, many photographers working across different genres decided to become war photographers or volunteers, and some made the decision to join the Armed Forces. Kostiantyn Huzenko was one of them. Aged 28, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2024 as part of the 35th Marine Brigade and was killed in action by a Russian missile on 1 November 2025. This exhibition is dedicated to his memory.
The original Home. Perspectives exhibition was commissioned by Open Eye Gallery for Eurofestival — the cultural programme of Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool, hosted on behalf of Ukraine. It subsequently travelled to five British cities, concluding with a final presentation at the UK Parliament in February 2025. This iteration is the first presentation of the exhibition outside the UK. It happens as Ukrainian cities suffer the harshest winter due to daily Russian attacks deliberately targeting the country’s energy system and heat supply, while the temperatures drop to -20 degrees.
Participating artists:
Vic Bakin, Igor Chekachkov, Alexander Chekmenev, Lia Dostlieva and Andrii Dostliev, Nazar Furyk, Kostiantyn Huzenko, Valeriy Miloserdov, Oksana Parafenuik, Volodymyr Petrov, Serhii Polezhaka, Polina Polikarpova, Andrii Rachynskyi, Anton Shebetko, Yaroslav Solop, Daria Svertilova, Elena Subach, Anya Tsaruk and Emine Ziyatdin
The poems in the exhibition are written by:
Hussein Al-Dahir, Wesam Almadani, Elzahraa Jadallah, Firas Saadoon and Somaya El Sousi
The exhibition is curated by:
Viktoria Bavykina and Max Gorbatskyi
Address:
Preus Museum
Kommandørkaptein Klincks vei 7,
3183 Horten
Open:
Wednesday – Friday: 11-15; Saturday – Sunday: 11-16
Ticketing:
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