On 27 February, a new exhibition entitled ‘Ukraine: Architectures of Despair and Hope’ opens at Europe House in London, curated by Dr Gabriele Salciute Civiliene, Associate Professor in Digital Humanities at King’s.
The exhibition brings together photography and 3D visualisation giving a glimpse of destroyed cultural and residential architecture in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. It sheds light on the fragility of architecture and the resilience of people who continue to live and create against the backdrop of destruction in the country.
‘Ukraine: Architectures of Despair and Hope’ showcases the work of war photographers and cultural workers who continue to document the destruction of architecture and safeguard it for future generations.
The exhibition features fourteen photographic pieces by seven photographers from Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Portugal and Romania. The photographs come into dialogue with three objects of Ukrainian cultural heritage digitised and recreated in 3D and Augmented Reality by Skeiron, the team of young professionals from Lviv in Ukraine.
Skeiron specialises in digital preservation of architectural heritage using laser scanning, photogrammetry and 3D modelling. For the exhibition, the team created three digital models of Ukrainian landmarks, later printed in 3D and integrated into AR apps: Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, the Vinnytsia Water Tower, and the Poltava Local History Museum. 3D models, Skeiron team says, allow for a more detailed study of the landmarks and highlight the need for their preservation during wartime.
‘Ukraine: Architectures of Despair and Hope’ exhibition is organised by the European Parliament Liaison Office in the United Kingdom (EPLO London), in partnership with the Embassy of Lithuania in the UK, Lithuanian Culture Institute and the Ukrainian Institute London.
The exhibition is free to visit and will remain open to the public in 12 Star Gallery, Europe House, until 31 May 2025.
