Matthieu Chazal: Fault Lines

22.04.2025 - 11.05.2025Facebook Event

This spring, Odessa will host a poignant tribute to the late French photographer Matthieu Chazal (1975–2024), whose lens captured the fragile beauty of life on the edges of conflict. Life in the Fault Lines brings together a selection of Chazal’s work from nearly two decades of travel across the Black and Mediterranean Seas—through Ukraine, Turkey, Syria, the Caucasus and beyond.
Far from being a war photographer, Chazal was a philosopher with a camera, drawn not to destruction, but to the quiet resilience of life amid it. His images are intimate, humane, and disarmingly tender: moments of laughter, sleep, ritual, and rest in the shadow of war.
Chazal first arrived in Odessa in 2011, and returned often after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He dreamed of creating a house of photography in this city. This exhibition, made possible by the Sutasoma Foundation with Ukrainian Cosmopolis and partners in France, is the first step toward realizing that vision.
This exhibition is made possible by the Sutasoma Trust, with the help of Ukrainian Cosmopolis (Odessa) and Gallerie HEGOA, Galerie Taylor, Picto, ImprimerieEscourbiac, Editions Odyssée, Centre National des Arts

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Urgent appeal to UNESCO

21.10.2024

Our team initiated this urgent appeal to UNESCO, requesting that President Volodymyr Zelensky defer recent decisions regarding the removal of monuments in Odesa’s World Heritage site until after the war. The letter highlights concerns about the impact of these decisions on Odesa's unique cultural heritage and identity, advocating for public consultations and expert scrutiny before any irreversible changes are made. The appeal underscores the need for careful consideration of Odesa's historical significance and the preservation of its cosmopolitan values in the face of ongoing conflict.

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Kids' Poetry Studio in Odesa

01.08.2023

Poetry Studio is a creative sanctuary for children in Odesa, providing a unique space for young voices to emerge and express themselves through poetry amidst the ongoing challenges of war. Launched in the summer of 2023, the project offers children a chance to connect with their creativity, find solace in the written word, and explore the power of poetry as a form of emotional expression. Despite the daily realities of air-raid sirens, bombings, and an uncertain future, the Poetry Studio has grown into a thriving community, offering ongoing poetry competitions, the annual New Odyssey kids' poetry festival, and a growing almanac of poetry written by young voices. The children are not only encouraged to write but also take inspiration from Odesa's iconic locations, such as the local zoo, Odesa film studios, and parks. Through these programmes, Poetry Studio has become a vital tool for healing, resilience, and the preservation of the creative spirit, proving that even in the most difficult times, art can provide hope and light.