Marta Syrko, Dmytro, 2023
Even so, Syrko presents them to the viewer with almost mythological elegance. Their poses emulate those of classical paintings and sculptures; their bodies become the basis of compositions full of dynamic shapes, colors, and textures. The people, in a sense, become art – or, to put it perhaps a little better, art reveals the beauty and complexity layered without and within each of them.
And there is also new life. Pregnancy, children – newborn babies, with their skin thankfully unmarred by the suffering around them, born from the very bodies we’re quick to deem “broken”.
Syrko is adamant that photographs are not neutral: “Every image reflects a choice: where to stand, what to include, what to exclude, and how to interpret reality.” That being said, she also insists that the “strongest images do not simply provide answers; they invite questions.” One of her favorite moments as an artist is watching people take time to examine her photographs more closely. “Whenever I see that happening, I know the work has found its life beyond me,” she says.
While it may be true that no one image or series can “solve” the crises facing Ukraine, let alone the world, Syrko’s work creates space where people can encounter other people who might otherwise be out of reach and, even if only for a moment, feel with them.
Sculptural is one of Syrko’s most important projects to date, but it is not her only one: “My future goal is to continue expanding this work internationally through exhibitions, books, and film. I am also building OBRA, an educational platform dedicated to artistic thinking and visual culture in Ukraine.”
By fostering dialogue not only around her own work but more broadly around the need for a strong artistic community in Ukraine, Syrko hopes to continue to nurture “visual culture,” which she sees as playing “an increasingly important role in shaping collective memory.”
“As artists,” Syrko concludes, “we participate in determining how societies remember, mourn, heal, and imagine the future.” Operating at the intersection of past history and history still in the making, she remains committed to preserving the primacy and dignity of individual experience. Through the camera lens, Syrko’s encounters become sources for introspection, action, and empathy alike.
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