Posthumous exhibition of Mathieu Chazal’s war photographs opens

The posthumous exhibition of photographs "Fault Lines" by the French photographer, winner of many awards, Mathieu Chazal, opened in the Artodesa gallery of the Summer Theater of the City Garden in Odesa.

It was also visited by an international correspondent.

Mathieu Chazal has spent almost two decades traveling around the Black and Mediterranean Seas, from the Balkans to the Caucasus, from Greece to Armenia, from Ukraine to Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran, documenting war.

"Soldiers drink tea between battles, take midday naps, swim in the river. People go to the markets, laugh and get married. War is only a hint: a destroyed bridge or a broken umbrella. Here, life takes center stage, becoming even brighter because of its fragility," note the exhibition's curators Anastasia Piliavsky and Serhiy Polyakov.

The photographer first came to Odesa in 2011 and then returned repeatedly after the full-scale Russian invasion, starting in March 2022. He filmed how sand was collected on Odesa beaches to fortify the city. He also documented life in the frontline areas of Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.

A philosopher by training, Mathieu Chazal created images that were indirect and deeply humane reflections on life with and despite the horrors of war. In 2024, the photographer passed away due to illness. At the opening of the posthumous exhibition, Levantine music was played and tango danced. It was fun, as Mathieu loved.

Earlier in Odesa, an exhibition of works by professional artists Iryna Belova and Daniil Rudyi titled "Creativity" opened at the Museum of Ukrainian Books, which is located in the Hrushevsky Odesa Regional Universal Scientific Library.

Photo: Intent/Nata Chernetska

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