Underfoot

Living in the conditions of war every emotion intensifies, and the senses become acutely attuned to even the smallest details. Gazing at the full moon through the window during an air raid alert, its glow at certain angles resembles the fleeting flashes of air defense systems in action, those fleeting bursts that sometimes light up the night sky. With strict rules against photographing air defense activities, a rhetorical question arises - is it even permissible to photograph the sky at all? Or is it better to focus on what lies beneath our feet? Being in a state of future uncertainty and constant threat feels like walking through an unmined forest, where the dim light is just enough to glimpse what surrounds you, but even that often falls short. Focusing on the lives of civilians and the surrounding environment, Vitalii Halanzha exposes the frequent danger that persists as Russian weapons continue daily attacks across Ukraine, making it the most heavily mined country in the world. The ammunition, mines, and shell fragments, collected from Kyiv region and brought from the frontline, serve not only as evidence of committed war crimes but also raise pressing questions about the future and the safety of millions living in these territories. Referring to Roger Fenton's iconic photographs of the Crimean War, images of repositioned shells revisit the debate about the manipulative aspects of documentary photography. They challenge the role of the photographer as a mere witness, revealing the inherent subjectivity in capturing and framing reality. Nature here serves as a mise-en-scene for the remnants of hostile metal, as a space of equality and shared experience for all forms of life, including vegetation and animals. The latter often suffer from explosions, poisoning, and other consequences of war. Amur, a dog, was abandoned on the streets during the chaotic early days of the full-scale invasion, as people fled their homes in panic. His example underscores the various ways in which the war has impacted pets, domestic animals, and wildlife on multiple levels.