"Salt of My Land" — an exhibition and photobook presentation of photographs, stories, and reflections by women of the Soledar community made by Oleksandra Klod
4 July 2026, 18:00
Dnipro Center for Contemporary Culture (DCCC), "Experimental Studio" space, 21A Krutogirnyi Uzviz
On the opening day there will also be a book presentation and an artist-led tour of the exhibition.
"Salt of My Land" is a photography project about memory, home, and the experience of forced displacement. It was created with women from the Soledar community who were forced to leave their homes due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
From January to May 2026, photographer and psychologist Oleksandra Klod conducted a series of photo workshops in which participants explored their own identity, family ties, and experience of displacement through photographic practice. Participants worked with disposable film cameras, created self-portraits, and photographed loved ones, places, and objects that evoke a sense of home and support. Oleksandra also visited most of the participants in their new homes and photographed them together with their family and friends.
Project participants:
Tetiana Tepliuk (Rozdolivka), Iryna Babenko (Berestove), Veronika Korzhova (Paraskoviivka), Alla Khamidullina (Paraskoviivka), Iryna Tretiakova (Yakovlivka), Anna Stetsenko (Soledar), Svitlana Stetsenko (Soledar), Valentyna Myroshnychenko (Soledar)
The outcomes of the project are an exhibition at DCCC and a commemorative book, "Salt of My Land" — a publication that brings together photographs, personal stories, and the participants' reflections on home, family ties, and life after displacement.
Some of these images became a way to restore a connection with personal history — especially for those who lost family photo albums and archives during evacuation. Most participants left their homes with a few bags and the hope that it would be temporary.
"My main goal was to create a space where the voices of the participants could be heard freely — their own perspective on their experience, past and present. That is why the core of the book is made up of photographs taken by the participants themselves." — Oleksandra Klod, project author.
The exhibition brings together autobiographical stories of women from the Soledar community, whose personal testimonies become part of the shared history of Donbas and Ukraine. Through photographs, self-portraits, and family narratives, the project speaks of roots, loss, resilience, and connection to the land, to people, and to one's own story.
The project was realised within the residency "Heritage. Practical Work", which is part of the capacity-building and networking programme for local cultural actors "Room for Heritage" — a joint initiative for local cultural practitioners in Ukraine focused on rethinking cultural heritage and strengthening social cohesion.
Oleksandra Klod is an interdisciplinary artist, psychologist, and researcher working with photography, video, and installations. In her practice, she explores emotions, memory, and borders in postcolonial societies. Originally from Donetsk, Oleksandra also examines themes of industrial heritage, ecological crisis, and the relationship between humans and land.
The capacity-building and networking programme for local cultural actors, Room for Heritage, is supported by the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU), funded by the governments of the United Kingdom, Estonia, Canada, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, and Sweden. PFRU's objective is to strengthen Ukraine's resilience in the face of Russian aggression by delivering essential support to local communities in collaboration with the Ukrainian government, civil society, media, and the private sector.