Chornobyl Archive

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Please note that access will not be permitted 15 minutes after the start of the event.

This event will be held in English.

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Maxim Dondyuk presents his work-in-progress, “Chornobyl Archive.” Started in 2016, this long-term photographic research project explores the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone through discovered and collected family photographs, film negatives, letters, and postcards that were left behind in the abandoned homes of the resettled area.

Maxim Dondyuk is a photographer and artist who combines fieldwork, historical inquiry, and personal reflections with the medium of photography, video, text, and archival materials. His regular interests include history, memory, conflict, and their enduring impact. His recent projects examine the meanings of war, nuclear energy, and their impact on human perception. Maxim’s work has garnered prestigious awards, including the 2022 W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography, the Lucie Award for the International Photographer of the Year. He was a finalist for the Prix Pictet Photography. His art has been exhibited at the Musée d’Art moderne de la ville de Paris, Somerset House in London, MAXXI National Museum of XXI Century Arts in Rome, and other places.

The Rendez-Vous de l’Institut Series is generously supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. You will find a full calendar of the Fellows’ Talks.

This event will be recorded and may be broadcast as part of our SNF Rendez-vous de l'Institut podcast series. By participating and asking questions, you consent to the use of your voice in this context.