"Moments": Exhibition of instant photography in the art space "Sur"

On May 12, the opening of the exhibition of instant photography "Moments" took place in the Kyiv bar “Sur”. According to the organizers, the "Moments" exhibition aims to explore the enduring appeal of these evocative and ephemeral images, which capture the essence of a fleeting moment and preserve it in a tangible, tactile form. Often seen as a harbinger of the instant gratification of the digital age, the immediacy of instant photography offers a rare combination of intimacy, nostalgia, and primal emotion. This exhibition delves into the intrinsic value of Polaroid and other types of instant photography, highlighting their ability to embody a true sense of time and place.

This event is a treasure for photography lovers, as many talented photographers and the unique charm of polaroids, instax, ambrotype and other techniques of instant photography are gathered in one space. Here you can see the works of Antonio Barros, Ally Fane & Tony Kenguru, Valeriia Pustovit, Veronika Mol’, Nataliia Filatova, Oleksandr Maly, Liza Kirr, Evhenia Kupchan and Sebastian Hartman.

In the two halls of the “Sur” space, the works are arranged in series, like photo books-stories. On one of the walls, we can see the works of Veronika Mol’, who started photography in 2020 and is a member of the Ukrainian women photographers organization group. The author had exhibitions not only on the territory of Ukraine, but also in the USA, Austria, Norway and Hungary. Mol’ works with analog photography, in particular instant printing cameras — her inspiration is born in the process of processing the developed film, cutting, burning or stapling:

"I call myself an instant film lover, because instant photography is my true passion. I really like to push the limits of the snapshot in the literal sense. My favorite assistant in this matter is a pair of scissors and a stapler. It can also be paint, acrylic, gouache, watercolor, I try everything. And I generally started with nail polishes - during experiments, I use everything that comes to hand."

Symone's dress reproduces the bow of the legendary drag queen Symone, the winner of the 13th season of Rupaul's drag race - all the photos of the dress depict open gays and lesbians of Kyiv.

The owner of the art space and the organizer of the project, Kseniya Gladushevska, also took part in the project – a multidisciplinary artist who usually works with ceramics. She began her journey in the art of photography in 2012 when she picked up her first digital SLR, and later 6x9 and 35 mm film cameras.

This exhibition is important not only for connoisseurs of photography in Kyiv, but also for the bar itself – this project was the first step of "Sur" on the way to rebranding into a full-fledged art space and gallery of modern Ukrainian art.

You can visit the exhibition at the address Kyiv, Honchara St., 40.

The text was prepared by Tetiana Safir, an art critic and art manager of the Imagine Point gallery