On 1 June, at 18:00, Serhii Melnychenko's MYPH School of Conceptual and Art Photography and YermilovCentre Contemporary Art Centre invite you to the opening of the exhibition project New MYPHologies, part of a series of anniversary events dedicated to the 5th anniversary of the school's foundation.

The implementation of the idea of the collective project "New MYPHologies" has come a long way, as the exhibition was supposed to open in May 2022, but Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has changed the lives of millions of Ukrainians, and with them the fate of the project and its participants. Serhii Melnychenko, project coordinator and founder of the MYPH School of Conceptual and Art Photography, says: "From the very first days, we have been helping the Armed Forces of Ukraine, volunteers and the Ukrainian people. After some time, despite the war, the School continued its educational and exhibition activities and prepared two courses of new and promising graduates who also took part in the New MYPHologies project competition."

Selected through the open call works of 28 authors formed the exposition. The emphasis on the artistic aspect at the MYPH School encourages students to expand the boundaries of the photographic medium, so the exhibition, in addition to photography, also includes art objects, installations, and video art. 

"Today, there is no need to prove to anyone the importance of the work of cultural institutions during the war. And communication between art institutions in Ukraine is a requirement of the times. It is imperative to go beyond, create new connections, do joint projects, and travel around Ukraine. Not to evacuate, but to travel. It gives a boost to development, this is how new ideas emerge and new opportunities for future projects are created. There is a huge need for communication and professional interaction not only online, but also live. And the audience today is thirsty for senses, so we have to broadcast them in the language of contemporary art. At the moment, MYPH are guests in Kharkiv, and I hope we will soon launch the project in Mykolaiv," comments Nataliia Ivanova, project coordinator and director of the YermilovCentre.

"New MYPHologies" is a wordplay that combines the school's abbreviation with the theme of myth-making. The mythological type of thinking is fundamental in art, this ancient form of perception and understanding of the world refers to the sensual, emotional understanding of reality and its figurative expression. According to the curator of the project, Iryna Antonets, artists naturally create their own worlds and symbolic systems, interpreting the realities of our time through personal, intuitive expression, which sometimes takes various bizarre forms. 

The project focuses on constructed personal worlds that exist according to their own rules and are populated by modern gods and heroes. As well as new legends and myths, which the authors tell through photography and new instruments. In this project, the authors are also looking for answers to the question of how each individual author's myth is part of a wider narrative and how it fits into the system of the collective MYPHology.

Curator of the exhibition: Iryna Antonets

Exhibition coordinators: Serhii Melnychenko, Nataliia Ivanova

The exhibition will last from 01.06.2023 to 15.07.2023

Tue-Sun: from 12:00 to 19:00

The entrance is free.