Validity Period is a photo project implemented by Roman Butym and Pavlo Kyryk in June-August 2021 in the city of Krakow, Poland.
Over three months, the authors visited local municipal waste points. This project addresses current issues of ecology, overproduction, and materialism. Items that were once valued and served generations have been replaced by the era of "disposable consumption".
Using discarded objects, the authors created installations intended
to evoke the atmosphere of home life. Since garbage is often associated with something dirty and repulsive, the emergence of
such mock comfort immediately attracted the attention of random passersby. Each shoot turned into a performance: some watched with interest and took photos, while others laughed, and a few threatened to call the police. However, the majority pretended not to notice anything.
to evoke the atmosphere of home life. Since garbage is often associated with something dirty and repulsive, the emergence of
such mock comfort immediately attracted the attention of random passersby. Each shoot turned into a performance: some watched with interest and took photos, while others laughed, and a few threatened to call the police. However, the majority pretended not to notice anything.
Materialism serves as a filler for existential voids. Acquiring more and more new things momentarily gives the illusion of improvement and becomes the norm. Often, these items have a short validity period, both literally and metaphorically. Large corporations and mass culture only exacerbate this issue. Advertisements and social pressure encourage people to constantly buy new things, creating the illusion that it is the only way to achieve happiness.
The project was nominated in the 8th edition
Fine Art Photography Awards,
published in The Eye of Photography Magazine
and on Instagram World Press Photo
as part of the Lagos Photo Festival
Fine Art Photography Awards,
published in The Eye of Photography Magazine
and on Instagram World Press Photo
as part of the Lagos Photo Festival
MOVEMENT
“In recent years, I have tried to photograph people as tired objects that cannot cope with the modern world. These works are aimed at reflection on opposing the pace of society, where constant mobility and information overload have created the illusion of life "in the flow". However, this illusion often hides deep helplessness and mental fatigue. Each shot is an attempt to capture the moment when a person ceases to be just one of millions of pixels on the screen of society.
PL UA
The photos reflect what many experience every day:
anxiety, isolation, the ability to hide their true selves behind digital masks.
The project is a process of constant evolution, where new photos constitute further fragments of this great mosaic.”