Trees in Ukraine

»Every day bad news from/about Ukraine. Still. Every day a new name of a village, town or city in Ukraine. Every day a screen-photograph of a tree in that town.«

»Every day bad news from/about Ukraine. Still. Every day a new name of a village, town or city in Ukraine. Every day a screenshot-photo of a tree in that town. A tree to just hold in for a moment. A tree as a reminder. A tree as a witness. A tree as a metaphor for time.«

This project is ongoing and, as of today (Oct 3, 2023), comprises over 400 images and screen-photographs capturing various elements of our environment, including trees, streets, urban and rural landscapes, people, cars, trucks, factories, and power plants. The majority of the street-view images were taken by Google Street View cars around 2015. In rural areas, Donbas, and Crimea (occupied by Russia since 2014), most of my sources consist of private photos and 360° photo-spheres. Apparently, Google wasn‘t allowed access to these areas at that time.

Since February 2022, I have been virtually exploring different locations almost every day. I follow various news sources, and whenever I read about a new or recurring place, I open Google Maps and navigate until I discover an interesting perspective featuring an intriguing tree. In doing so, I aim to capture a diverse range of Ukrainian street and cityscapes.

Primarily, my interest lies in trees, viewing them as metaphors, witnesses, and even as individuals. What‘s additionally captivating is the element of time: the only image I initially encounter is a photo of a tree from 2015. Seven years later, I capture these trees through screen-photographs, all the while unaware of whether they still exist, how the surrounding area has evolved, or if the tree itself endures. Moreover, there are various digital artifacts, glitches, and disturbances in the images, which add a unique dimension to the project.

Up until now, I‘ve been regularly sharing the images of trees on my Instagram account and produced a selection of sticker, to re-plant the trees on the streets wherever I go. The project hasn‘t solidified into a definitive form yet therefore I would be really greateful to receive a grant, to continue with the project (also as the war is still going on). I envision the possibility of producing larger prints, creating a small ‚forest‘ by bringing together several trees from different places.

In this application you only find a very small selection of trees. To see more please follow: www.instagram.com/katja_stuke/