About
“I never thought that photography would be the meaning of my life. For a long time I worked in the Drama Theatre of the main artist on the light, for 8 years. At one point I realized that this work – not what I wanted to do in the future, left her and became interested in artistic photography. Boris Mikhailov is one of the most famous photo-artists of the world (as well as winner of the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography) became my teacher and mentor.
Since then I have been held for more than 70 collective and individual photo exhibitions. My photography spans across a wide range of techniques and subject matter. I explore local issues and concerns, the interplay of present and past in socio-cultural contexts. Soviet and Post-Soviet Ukraine — a reconsideration of what appears now (in retrospect) as a somewhat confused field of inquiry: the nature of the post-Soviet era itself. Thanks to the exhibition has become a well-known projects such as: “Ghosts. Famine 30-ies”, “I come from childhood”, “Games of libido”, “Bitch Love”, and now they are displayed in collections: Centre Pompidou (Paris, France),Multimedia Art Museum (Moscow, Russia), National Center for Contemporary Arts (NCCA) (Moscow, Russia), Museum of Ken Damy (Bresha, Italy), Museum of Contemporary Photography (Chicago, USA), Moscow Museum of Modern Art (Moscow, Russia), The Navigator Foundation (Boston, USA), ARTOTHEK (Nürnberg, Germany), Stadtgalerie (Brunsbüttel, Germany),Museum of Kharkiv School of Photography (MOKSOP) (Kharkiv, Ukraine), Grynyov Art Foundation (Kyiv, Ukraine), Róbert Alföl di’s photographic collection (Budapest, Hungary)
Since 1989 member of the National Society of Photo Artists of Ukraine (NSPAU) and recently I have become a regional coordinator of UPHA — Ukrainian Photographic Alternative. UPHA is a small independent group created to help and support development of contemporary ukrainian photography.
In April, 2013 I was awarded the Sony World Photography Awards Conceptual Photographer of the Year title.
I believe that in the photographic art, as in any other art, very important: self-awareness, self-deepening spiritual exhibitionism, and the creation of a dramatic concept of own feelings.” Roman Pyatkovka
Born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 1955. Lives and works in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Member of the National Union of Photo Artists of Ukraine (since 1989)
Senior Lecturer Media Communications. Vasyl Karazin Kharkiv National University.
Education:
1972-1978 – The Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute, Faculty of Electric Power
03.09-30.09.1979 – The Kyiv National University of Theatre, Film and TV of Karpenko-Kary
Symposium:
2015 – Guest lecturer in 38th International Art Photography Symposium “Meetings of photographers in NIDA”, Nida, Lithuania
2016 – Guest lecturer in 39th International Art Photography Symposium “Meetings of photographers in NIDA”, Nida, Lithuania
2017 – Guest lecturer in Amber Breeze is an international photography festival in the Baltic states. Liepaja, Latvia
Awards:
2019 – Two-Year State Scholarship to Outstanding Figures of Culture and Art, DECREE OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE V. ZELENSKY 6946/2019,Kyiv,Ukraine
2016 – Alexis Ivanitskiy Grand Award of the Kharkiv regional State administration and Kharkiv regional Council in the field of culture and art. Kharkiv, Ukraine
2014 – Certificate of honor from the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine for personal contribution to the development and popularization of Ukrainian photographic art, for diligent work and professionalism, Kyiv, Ukraine
2013 – Sony World Photography Awards conceptual photographer of the year title, London, UK
2010 – Kharkiv Municipal Art Award in the field of artistic photography, Kharkiv, Ukraine
1998 – Young European Photographers Awards, Deutsche Leasung AG Bad Homburg, Germany
Teaching the course of “Сonceptual photography”:
2018-now – Chekachkov Photo Academy, Kharkiv, Ukraine
2017 – now – Senior Lecturer Media Communications. Vasyl Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine
2014-2016 – Cultural photographic center “PhotoCULT”, Kyiv, Ukraine
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2017 – More of Roman Pyatkovka. Bunsen Goetz Galerie, Nuremberg, Germany
2017 – “Concours d’Impression” at the Merks Motor Museum, Nuremberg, Germany
2016 – Klaipeda photography gallery in Klaipėda Culture Communication Centre (KCCC, Exhibition Hall). Klaipeda, Lithuania
2016 – “Soviet Photo II” (16.02-25.03) Dadiani Fine Art. London, UK
2015 – “Soviet Photo” Dadiani Fine Art. London, UK
2010 – “Wrong Photo”. Gallery Exit. Odessa, Ukraine
2008 – New Game Gallery. Tokyo, Japan
1999 – Kunstverein Nuremberg Kohlenhof e.V. in the Germanic National Museum. Nuremberg, Germany
1995 – Artists’ House. Kharkiv, Ukraine
1993 – Innensicht Gallery. Nuremberg, Germany
1991 – Modern Photography Museum Ken Damy. Bresh, Italy
1991 – Fotografier Gallery. Gothenburg , Sweden
1991 – UKS Gallery (Unge Kunstneres Samfund Galleri (norw.) / Gallery of the Society of young artists (eng.)). Oslo, Norway
1991 – Roy Boyd Gallery. Chicago, Illinois, USA
1990 – Gallery “F-4”. Cheb, Czech Republic
1990 – Gallery Up/Down. Kharkiv, Ukraine
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2022 – Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
2022 – “Once upon the war in KHARKIV”. Gallérie éphémère d’Alexandra de Viveiros -Kalinina, à l’espace Le Studio Rouchon, Paris, France
2021 – “Sensitivity. Contemporary Ukrainian photography”. Mystetskyi Arsenal, Kyiv, Ukraine
2021 – “Штучний біль” (Artificial pain. Exhibition of Ukrainian contemporary art) YermilovCentre, Kharkiv, Ukraine
2020 – “Штучний біль” (Artificial pain. Exhibition of Ukrainian contemporary art) YermilovCentre, (Kharkiv) in collaboration with the Centre Of Contemporary Art “Znaki Czasu” in Toruń, Poland
2019 – „30 Jahre gewendet“, Stadtgalerie im Elbeforum Brunsbüttel, Brunsbüttel, Germany
2019 – “Storytelling from Kharkiv: Singular Voices”, Galerie nomade d’Alexandra De Viveiros, Paris, France
2019 – OSMOSCOSMOS – 50JPG.CH, Centre de la photographie Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
2019 – The Forbidden Image/Crossing Lines. PinchukArtCentre, Kyiv, Ukraine
2019- UPHA. Made in Ukraine. Cultural space AkT/Platform art factory, Kyiv, Ukraine
2019 – Kharkiv School of Photography. Selected works from the collection of the Grynyov Art Foundation. Mironova Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine
2017 – Anonymous Society. PinchukArtCentre, Kyiv, Ukraine
2016 – “A Take on Vintage Photography” Vitas Luckus Photography centre, Šiauliai, Lithuania
2016 – The Freedom of the Past – a selection from Róbert Alföldi’s photographic collection, Hungarian House of Photography – Mai Manó House
2015 – Cossack contemporary. Bunsen Goetz Galerie, Nuremberg, Germany
2014 – “Probability Theory” is the 7-th project under the Ukrainian platform “New Directions”, introduced by the Modern Art Research Institute National Academy of Arts supported by The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. Kyiv, Ukraine
2014 – Premonition: Ukrainian Art Now, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
2013 – “Act of Disobedience. The Body as Protest in the Kharkov Photography 1970-2010”. The Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography, Moscow, Russia
2013 – Sony World Photography Awards 2013 exhibition in frames of The European Month of Photography in Bratislava, Slovakia
2013 – “Industrial Eden”. Modern Art Research Institute, Kyiv, Ukraine
2013 – Sony World Photography Awards 2013 exhibition. Art Museum, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine
2013 – “Ukraine: Expropriation”. Grinberg Gallery, Moscow, Russia
2013 – NordArt 2013, an exhibition of contemporary art. Büdelsdorf, Germany
2013 – Sony World Photography Awards 2013 exhibition, Somerset House, London, United Kingdom
2012 – “Social euphoria”. Modern Art Research Institute, Kyiv, Ukraine
2012 – “Cult of the Body”, by members of UPHA — Ukrainian Photographic Alternative. Leisure, temporary gallery. London, United Kingdom
2012 – “Kharkiv School of Photography. The Draving lessons”, The 1-st Kyiv International Biennale of Contemporary Art ARSENALE 2012 Parallel Program. National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
2012 – “Perspective”, The 1-st Kyiv International Biennale of Contemporary Art ARSENALE 2012 Parallel Program. Modern Art Research Institute , Kyiv, Ukraine
2012 – The FotoFest Biennial «Contemporary Russian Photography 1950s–2012». Houston, Texas, USA
2012 – “ARTisARTisART”. Moscow Museum of Modern Art. Moscow, Russia
2011 – China Pingyao International Photography Festival (PIP). Pingyao, China
2011 – European Festival of the Nude Photography. Espace van Gogh, Arles, France
2011 – “Kill photo”. Gallery Ya Gallery (Pavlo Gudimov Art Center), Kyiv, Ukraine
2011 – “Kill photo”. Gallery Art-Kvartira (Pavlo Gudimov Art Center), Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine
2010 – “Якщо, Если, If”. PERMM Museum of Contemporary Art, Perm, Russia
1998 – “New Human Landscape”, an exhibition at the International Festival of Photography “Les Rencontres d’Arles”. Arles, France
1998 – Interim-Gallery, Nuremberg, Germany
1995 – “Contemporary Russian Photography” – Boris Savelev, Lyaiya Kuznetsova, Roman Pyatkov, Francisco Infante, Tanja Liebermann, Andrei Bezoukiadnikov, Yuri Tschernischov and Vadim Gippenreiter. (Feb. 12-April 9, 1995). Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL, USA
1994 – “Soul of Ukraine”. Cincinnati, USA
1993 – Middfest International Festival. Middletown, Ohio, USA
1992 – Central House of the Artists, Moscow, Russia
1992 – Center for Contemporary Art, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
1991 – “Photomanifesto: contemporary photography in the USSR”. Museum for Contemporary Arts. Baltimore, USA
1990 – “Op-positions: Commitment and Cultural Identity in Contemporary Photography” II International Biennale of Photography. Center for photography, Rotterdam, Netherlands
1990 – “Zapretnye”. Fotograficentrum, Stockholm, Sweden
1989 – “Fotostroika”. New York, USA
1989 – “150 Years of Photography”. Central Exhibition Hall “Manege”, Moscow, Russia
1988 – “Eroosio. Soviet Conceptual Art & Photography of the 1980`s”. Amos Anderson Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
1988 – Young European Photographers Awards, Deutsche Leasung AG Bad Homburg, Germany
1988 – “Inakovidichie” Milan, Italy
1988 – “New Soviet Photograph”, Finland, Denmark, Sweden
Selected Publications and Interviews:
• Elephant (#17 – Winter 2013-2014)
• Fotograf (#22-2013) Prague, Czech Republic
• Український тиждень (#23(291) – 2013) Kyiv, Ukraine
• Зеркало недели. Украина (#20 – 2013) Kyiv, Ukraine
• Aperture (#208 – Fall 2012) New York, USA
• EYEMAZING (#2 – Summer, 2012) Amsterdam, Netherlands
• 5.6 (#7 – May 2012) Kyiv, Ukraine
• Fotografisk Tidskrift (#2-2011) Sweden
• Taide, Finland
• F, Sweden
• ETS, Sweden
• ZOOM, Italy
• Art Journal, USA
• Kymengarde (#6 – (1991) 1992) Helsinki, Finland
• Valokuva (#4-1990) Finland
• Cheskoslovenska fotografie (#6 – 1990), Czech Republic
• Glasnos (1990) Stockholm, Sweden
• l’Arche (1989) Paris, France
• Aperture (#116 – Fall 1989) New York, USA
• Prat (1989) Stockholm, Sweden
• FOTO (1989) France
• Image (#2 – 1988) Helsenki, Finland
Author’s Books:
• Метеопрогноз (eng. -Weather forecast). Publisher: Red Zet LLC, Kyiv, Ukraine
• Apartment 20. ISBN: 978-966-1545-26-6. Publishing house: Artbook Publishing House, Kyiv, Ukraine
• YOU WAIT. ISBN 978-966-97673-0-1. Publisher: Red Zet LLC, Kyiv, Ukraine
• SCHEME – Zine collection N°5(with signed print). ISBN: 979-10-91406-00-0. Paris, France
Books and catalogs:
• Catalogue “Premonition: Ukrainian Art Now”, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
• Post-Photography: The Artist with a Camera by Robert Shore. ISBN 9781780672281 Publisher: Laurence King Publishing, London, UK
• Eyemazing: The New Collectible Art Photography ISBN 9780500516850. Publisher: Thames&Hudson Ltd., London, UK
• Catalogue NordArt 2013. ISBN 978-3-9813751-5-2. Büdelsdorf, Germany
• Sony World Photography Awards 2013. ISBN: 0957201028. London, UK
• NUDE ART TODAY TOME III 2013. ISBN : 9 782953 254860. Paris, France
• SCHEME – Zine collection N°5(with signed print). ISBN: 979-10-91406-00-0. Paris, France
• Catalogue of the First Kyiv International Biennale of Contemporary Art ARSENALE 2012 Parallel Program. Kyiv, Ukraine
• Catalogue of the China PINGYAO International Photography Festival – 2011. Pingyao, China
• “Le Portrait Dans L’Art Contemporain – 2011” ISBN 978-2-9532548-4-6 Paris, France
• Catalog “11-e Festival Européen de la Photo de Nu” Arles, France
• Catalog “Якщо, Если, If. Украинское искусство на переломе”. Музей современного искусства PERMM. (eng. – “If. Ukrainian Art in Transition”. PERMM Museum of Contemporary Art) ISBN 978-5-904783-04-4. Perm, Russia
• “ХАРЬКОВ. Хроника Pеволюции” (eng.-“Kharkov. Chronicle of the Revolution”) (2005) ISBN 966-8636-21-X
• Hannu Eerikainenen. Naneli Esckola “Toisin Nakijat” ISBN 951-615-707-6
• “Di fotografia Contemporanea” Museo Ken Damy
• “Un Nouveau Pausage Humain” Recontres Internationales de la Photographie.
ISBN 2-7427-1780-3
• Daniela Mrazkova “What is Photography” ISBN 80-7024-004-0
• Catalogue “Op-positions: Commitment and Cultural Identity in Contemporary Photography” ISBN 90-6450-098-3
• Юрий Рыбчинский “Фото эстафета. От Родченко до наших дней” ISBN 5-939777-023-1
Art works in privat and museum collections:
Centre Pompidou (Paris, France)
Cincinnati Art Museum. Cincinnati, USA
Stadtgalerie (Brunsbüttel, Germany)
Museum of Kharkiv School of Photography (MOKSOP) (Kharkiv, Ukraine)
Grynyov Art Foundation (Kyiv, Ukraine)
Róbert Alföldi’s photographic collection (Budapest, Hungary)
Multimedia Art Museum (Moscow, Russia)
National Center for Contemporary Arts (NCCA) (Moscow, Russia)
Museum of Ken Damy (Bresha, Italy)
Museum of Contemporary Photography (Chicago, USA)
Moscow Museum of Modern Art (Moscow, Russia)
The Navigator Foundation (Boston, USA)
ARTOTHEK (Nürnberg, Germany)