When he spoke he fired imaginary shots with his gun shaped hands

Produced in collaboration with Ukrainian & Russian soldiers, as well as the Archive of Modern Conflict this book explores the dark, game-like play, and the spontaneous, performative acts of violence that make the terror of war feel mundane, even scripted.

(Please refer to this link to view an online layout of the work produced especially for this context: https://edgarmartins.com/work/Когда-он-говорил-он-производил-вообра/

Когда он говорил, он производил воображаемые выстрелы своими руками в форме пистолета or When he spoke he fired imaginary shots with his gun shaped hands,  is a collection of historical photographs assembled over eight years in a unique and poignant collaboration with The Archive of Modern Conflict (UK) and two close friends—a Ukrainian and a Russian soldier—both also avid photographers—who have chosen to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals from their respective communities. Their partnership is imbued with a deep historical irony, as their parents fought on the same side as soldiers within the Soviet Union during WWII and the subsequent Cold War.

Sourced from these combined holdings as well as Edgar Martins’ personal archive, the project primarily features images taken by Soviet soldiers between the 1940s and 1980s. These photographs explore a surreal side of conflict: the intense boredom, the dark, game-like play, and the spontaneous, performative acts of violence that make the terror of war feel mundane, even scripted. They provide a glimpse into the heightened state of tension and the high-stakes, often violent play that is forced upon soldiers and citizens when nations are at war but not engaged in direct battle.

While the majority of these works were assembled before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the project was completed during the ongoing war. This reality transformed the editorial process dramatically, with some of the final prints having to be carefully smuggled out of Russia to be included in the project.

This carefully curated body of work uses the past to confront recent geopolitical events, exploring the recurring cycles of history and the deeply human, often bizarre, ways people navigate the fragile threshold between peace and open conflict.

Note about the book: The book will be conceived as a tactile object, utilizing economic and utilitarian materials that evoke the ubiquitous and ephemeral nature of the source photographs. Its design will be heavily inspired by Soviet post-war aesthetics, drawing on the graphic language and book design principles of influential figures like El Lissitzky, and Solomon Telingater.

Presented as a small-format publication (no larger than 20x25cm), the book will challenge conventional photobook design by reproducing the images at their original, intimate sizes, which range from just 4x5cm to 10x16cm. This visual sequence will be contextualized by newly commissioned essays from the renowned philosopher Slavoj Žižek and distinguished curator Sérgio Mah who have already agreed to contribute to the publication.

A preliminary visual edit, showcasing the project's narrative rhythm and the dynamic between the images, can be viewed here: https://edgarmartins.com/work/Когда-он-говорил-он-производил-вообража/. While not a formal book dummy, it serves as a guide to the work's structure and potential final layout.