The Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation from Munich, which supports modern art and natural sciences, provided the Nikolaev photographer, founder of the school of conceptual and art photography “MYPH”, UAPP participant Serhiy Melnychenko received a scholarship in the amount of 50 thousand euros for the implementation of the photo project “Under the Dnipro” in November 2023. According to the terms of the program, the photographer is obliged to prepare photos for the upcoming exhibition, as well as shoot a documentary film and publish a photo book. How was it possible to get such a grant, how work on the project is ongoing and what has already been created - we talk to Serhiy.
— In 2022, at the beginning of a full-scale war, sometime in March or April, I was contacted by the curator of the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation. Then they bought 16 works from me. Then in March 2023, the foundation opened an exhibition where these photos were presented. I went to Munich and later gave a lecture there. I gave them some photos from my Tattoos of War project. And they, in order to support my project, purchased 9 more large paintings. In parallel with this, the foundation worked on the launch of a grant program. I was told that they would like the first wave of three grants to include photographers with whom they are already collaborating. So I started to prepare an application.
— The theme of the program is Stories On Humankind. I had to submit my idea on three pages in PDF format. Of course, I would like to implement the project to show Ukraine and Ukrainians. I wrote down the idea, my vision of the topic and explained why this project is important, what it will mean for me and for my heroes. To represent the visual component, I submitted references of photos, as well as exhibition realizations and photo books. In addition to the photo project, I wrote that I really want the final photo book with these stories and pictures, as well as a documentary film. That is, we take both a photo and shoot video material at the same time.
— My project is called “Under the Dnieper”(Along the Dnipro — ed.) I chose the Dnieper River as the main artery of the country symbolically. I want to document the stories of people living from Nikolaev and Kherson region and further up the Dnieper: Zaporizhia, Dnipro (city — ed.), Cherkasy and Kyiv. Talk about the heroes who live in these cities and towns, and how Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has affected their lives. Among the main characters of the project: military, rescuers, volunteers and ordinary people. This is the most diverse pool of people.
— I received a scholarship for a year, but every three months I report on the work done. At first, I was preparing for the project for 3 months: I calculated logistics, looked for heroes, bought equipment. I started shooting in March. The main thing for grantees is photos, their quality and quantity. A film and a photobook are another matter. For 2026, the exhibition “Under the Dnieper” is already planned in Munich. I really hope it will be sooner. However, to this point, I can't show the photographic material I'm working on anywhere. Photos should be exclusively presented for the first time at the exhibition.
— We have already documented a lot of material and we still have a lot of work ahead of us. Nikolaev, Kherson, Odessa — we have already managed to get there. Currently, most of the photos are documentaries. I use a medium format film camera, a digital camera and a polaroid. But I have some work to do when I plan to implement some artistic solutions. Perhaps I will use the same technique as in the project “Tattoos of War”, or maybe I will not, just so as not to duplicate myself. The basis of the project is documentary.
To receive such a grant is both a great motivation and an honor for me. Of course, I am happy to be able to implement a large-scale, long-term project about my home country and thus draw attention to the Russian-Ukrainian war. While working on the project, we meet a lot of cool and interesting people with powerful stories and at the same time we can help them. I mean, if we meet with volunteers, interview them, then we also donate and distribute the fees. For example, for the animal shelter, which is located on the border of the Nikolaev and Kherson regions, we shot a video and then collected funds for these animals. That is, in addition to documenting, we can help our heroes. This is very important to me. I see sense in this. Also last year after the explosion of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power plant, we collected funds for the restoration of houses in Snigurivka. I would very much like to come there in a year and shoot some material about them, talk to the locals, find out how they live a year after such a disaster that happens to them. Reflect internally not only from a professional point of view, but also from the point of view of humanity.
— I received this grant not because of the standard Open Call. This is what I always advise my students — to work and communicate with colleagues, to try to be in the environment of gallery curators. This opportunity came to me through exhibitions and sales of my works, through ordinary human communication. When someone sees with their own eyes your professionalism and responsibility, they gladly go to the meeting. No matter what awards, competitions, grants, scholarships or residencies, I think you just have to be as active as possible and try everything.
Serhiy Melnichenko — photographer, teacher, founder of the school of conceptual and art photography “MYPH”. He began photography in 2009. During this time, he participated in about 200 solo and group exhibitions, fairs and festivals around the world. Organizer and curator of more than 40 projects and exhibitions with works by students of “MYPH” school around the world over the past 5 years. Winner of Ukrainian and international competitions and awards, including “Leica Oskar Barnack Award Newcomer” in 2017 (Berlin), “Photographer of the Year” 2012, 2013 and 2016 (Kyiv, Ukraine), “Golden Camera” in 2012 (Kyiv, Ukraine). Finalist of “Krakow Photomonth”, “Pinchuk Art Center Prize”, “Off_Festival Bratislava 2014", “DEBUTS 2018”, “Kolga Tbilisi Photo Award”, “Batumi Photodays”, etc.
Participant of “Paris Photo”, “Volta Art Fair”, “Photo L.A.”, “Photo Basel”, “Unseen fair”. Nominated for the Foam Paul Huf Award in 2020 and 2023. Selected to participate in the European platform for photographers “FUTURES” in 2022. Sergey's photographs are in private and public collections in the USA, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, Belgium, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Japan, Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, etc. In 2022 and 2023, two series and a total of 25 works by Sergei were included in the permanent collection of the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation. In 2023, he received an annual scholarship (grant) from the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation to create his own photo project.
The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Literary Editor: Julia Futei
Bildeditor: Vyacheslav Ratynskyi
Site Manager: Vladislav Kuhar
The Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation from Munich, which supports modern art and natural sciences, provided the Nikolaev photographer, founder of the school of conceptual and art photography “MYPH”, UAPP participant Serhiy Melnychenko received a scholarship in the amount of 50 thousand euros for the implementation of the photo project “Under the Dnipro” in November 2023. According to the terms of the program, the photographer is obliged to prepare photos for the upcoming exhibition, as well as shoot a documentary film and publish a photo book. How was it possible to get such a grant, how work on the project is ongoing and what has already been created - we talk to Serhiy.
— In 2022, at the beginning of a full-scale war, sometime in March or April, I was contacted by the curator of the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation. Then they bought 16 works from me. Then in March 2023, the foundation opened an exhibition where these photos were presented. I went to Munich and later gave a lecture there. I gave them some photos from my Tattoos of War project. And they, in order to support my project, purchased 9 more large paintings. In parallel with this, the foundation worked on the launch of a grant program. I was told that they would like the first wave of three grants to include photographers with whom they are already collaborating. So I started to prepare an application.
— The theme of the program is Stories On Humankind. I had to submit my idea on three pages in PDF format. Of course, I would like to implement the project to show Ukraine and Ukrainians. I wrote down the idea, my vision of the topic and explained why this project is important, what it will mean for me and for my heroes. To represent the visual component, I submitted references of photos, as well as exhibition realizations and photo books. In addition to the photo project, I wrote that I really want the final photo book with these stories and pictures, as well as a documentary film. That is, we take both a photo and shoot video material at the same time.
— My project is called “Under the Dnieper”(Along the Dnipro — ed.) I chose the Dnieper River as the main artery of the country symbolically. I want to document the stories of people living from Nikolaev and Kherson region and further up the Dnieper: Zaporizhia, Dnipro (city — ed.), Cherkasy and Kyiv. Talk about the heroes who live in these cities and towns, and how Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has affected their lives. Among the main characters of the project: military, rescuers, volunteers and ordinary people. This is the most diverse pool of people.
— I received a scholarship for a year, but every three months I report on the work done. At first, I was preparing for the project for 3 months: I calculated logistics, looked for heroes, bought equipment. I started shooting in March. The main thing for grantees is photos, their quality and quantity. A film and a photobook are another matter. For 2026, the exhibition “Under the Dnieper” is already planned in Munich. I really hope it will be sooner. However, to this point, I can't show the photographic material I'm working on anywhere. Photos should be exclusively presented for the first time at the exhibition.
— We have already documented a lot of material and we still have a lot of work ahead of us. Nikolaev, Kherson, Odessa — we have already managed to get there. Currently, most of the photos are documentaries. I use a medium format film camera, a digital camera and a polaroid. But I have some work to do when I plan to implement some artistic solutions. Perhaps I will use the same technique as in the project “Tattoos of War”, or maybe I will not, just so as not to duplicate myself. The basis of the project is documentary.
To receive such a grant is both a great motivation and an honor for me. Of course, I am happy to be able to implement a large-scale, long-term project about my home country and thus draw attention to the Russian-Ukrainian war. While working on the project, we meet a lot of cool and interesting people with powerful stories and at the same time we can help them. I mean, if we meet with volunteers, interview them, then we also donate and distribute the fees. For example, for the animal shelter, which is located on the border of the Nikolaev and Kherson regions, we shot a video and then collected funds for these animals. That is, in addition to documenting, we can help our heroes. This is very important to me. I see sense in this. Also last year after the explosion of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power plant, we collected funds for the restoration of houses in Snigurivka. I would very much like to come there in a year and shoot some material about them, talk to the locals, find out how they live a year after such a disaster that happens to them. Reflect internally not only from a professional point of view, but also from the point of view of humanity.
— I received this grant not because of the standard Open Call. This is what I always advise my students — to work and communicate with colleagues, to try to be in the environment of gallery curators. This opportunity came to me through exhibitions and sales of my works, through ordinary human communication. When someone sees with their own eyes your professionalism and responsibility, they gladly go to the meeting. No matter what awards, competitions, grants, scholarships or residencies, I think you just have to be as active as possible and try everything.
Serhiy Melnichenko — photographer, teacher, founder of the school of conceptual and art photography “MYPH”. He began photography in 2009. During this time, he participated in about 200 solo and group exhibitions, fairs and festivals around the world. Organizer and curator of more than 40 projects and exhibitions with works by students of “MYPH” school around the world over the past 5 years. Winner of Ukrainian and international competitions and awards, including “Leica Oskar Barnack Award Newcomer” in 2017 (Berlin), “Photographer of the Year” 2012, 2013 and 2016 (Kyiv, Ukraine), “Golden Camera” in 2012 (Kyiv, Ukraine). Finalist of “Krakow Photomonth”, “Pinchuk Art Center Prize”, “Off_Festival Bratislava 2014", “DEBUTS 2018”, “Kolga Tbilisi Photo Award”, “Batumi Photodays”, etc.
Participant of “Paris Photo”, “Volta Art Fair”, “Photo L.A.”, “Photo Basel”, “Unseen fair”. Nominated for the Foam Paul Huf Award in 2020 and 2023. Selected to participate in the European platform for photographers “FUTURES” in 2022. Sergey's photographs are in private and public collections in the USA, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, Belgium, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Japan, Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, etc. In 2022 and 2023, two series and a total of 25 works by Sergei were included in the permanent collection of the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation. In 2023, he received an annual scholarship (grant) from the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation to create his own photo project.
The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Literary Editor: Julia Futei
Bildeditor: Vyacheslav Ratynskyi
Site Manager: Vladislav Kuhar
UAPP is an independent association of professional Ukrainian photographers, designed to protect their interests, support, develop and promote Ukrainian photography as an important element of national culture.
UAPP's activities span educational, social, research and cultural initiatives, as well as book publishing.
UAPP represents Ukrainian professional photography in the international photographic community and is an official member of the Federation of European Photographers (FEP) — an international organization representing more than 50,000 professional photographers in Europe and other countries around the world.
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