Ukrainian Photography Exhibition at Stills Edinburgh Explores Home Amid War

Stills in Edinburgh presents 'Home: Ukrainian Photography, UK Words,' a group exhibition running from August 2 to October 5 that examines concepts of home through photography, particularly in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The show features works by Ukrainian artists including Andrii Rachynskyi, whose 2022 piece 'Hiding designations on a traffic sign' documents how local defense committees obscured road signs to confuse Russian forces using paper maps. Elena Subach's 2022 series 'Chairs' captures abandoned belongings of refugees in Uzhhorod, where she was deployed with a catering regiment feeding those waiting to cross into Slovakia. Alexander Chekmenev's 1995 work 'Passport' shows his government-commissioned portraits of elderly and ill Ukrainians, revealing grim living conditions after Soviet rule ended. The exhibition highlights how artists' practices become homes when communities are displaced, with photography serving as both documentation and refuge. Amid Edinburgh's August festival season, the show offers perspective on ongoing conflicts elsewhere.