Until July 27, the DOM Gallery in Riga will host the exhibition ‘Validity Period’ on the topic of ecology and consumerism.
The project was realized in 2021 in Krakow by Ukrainian artists Roman Butym and Pavlo Kyryk. For three months, the authors visited local municipal waste collection points, using trash as decorations for the project.
The project was nominated in the 8th edition of the Fine Art Photography Awards (London, 2021).
The exhibition space is a metaphor for the future, where climate change has already become a reality, and environmental pollution has fundamentally altered the familiar landscape. The home has become a place of nostalgia for nature, and artifacts such as dried wildflowers or seeds have become valuable collectible items.
The project’s photos are complemented by four 3D frames containing soil, five wheat spikes, dried poppy flowers, and a mixture of sunflower seeds and wheat grains. All natural materials come from Ukraine. In addition to their primary sense, they also have additional meanings, such as the wheat spikes addressing the theme of historical memory («The Law of Five Spikelets» during the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932-1933) or the dried poppy flower, serving as an allusion to the symbol of memory for the victims who died during wars.
The photos are for sale, and all proceeds will be donated to the Come Back Alive Foundation.
Additionally, during the exhibition, anyone can participate in a charity raffle for a certified Fine Art Print photo from the project. To participate, you need to make a donation of at least 5 euros to the Come Back Alive foundation, which professionally engages in volunteer work, helping Ukraine in the war with Russia (https://savelife.in.ua/en/donate-en/#donate-army-card-once). In the payment description, write “raffle – Validity period, 2024,” and send the transaction confirmation to the email validityperiod2024@gmail.com.
The winner will be determined by a randomizer after the exhibition ends.
Roman Butym is a Ukrainian photographer living in Krakow, Poland. Roman engages in artistic, advertising, and reportage photography. His works have been published on the Instagram of World Press Photo, and in the online magazines Photo Vogue Italia and The Eye of Photography Magazine.
Pavlo Kyryk is a Ukrainian writer and graphic artist living in Krakow, Poland. He is a laureate of the Krakow City Artist Scholarship 2024 and the Smoloskyp Publishing House Literary Contest (Kyiv, 2016). He also collaborated with the National Museum in Krakow.
Photographer: Pavlo Kyryk
