State of Will: an exhibition by photographer Eddy van Wessel opened at the Dovzhenko Centre

From August 29 till November 2, Dovzhenko Centre Film Museum displays the photo exhibition by documentary photographer Eddy van Wessel — a visual reflection on war, resistance, and humanity.

State of Will exhibition brings together the photos by Eddy van Wessel (The Netherlands, Sweden), who’s been documenting armed conflicts for over 30 years. For the past three years his lens has been focused primarily on Russia’s war against Ukraine. He’s visited Ukraine and worked in the epicenter of war about 15 times.

This exhibition is not about war as destruction, but about people in war. The lens focuses on Ukrainian military and civilians who, despite their losses and darkness, retain the ability to feel, act, and be together. Van Wessel’s photographs capture what often remains behind the news: tense anticipation, concern, life on the front line, and connections between people—Ukrainian Army and civilians.

Ukrainian curators’ team say: “For us, war has been no longer an abstract thing—it has become the backdrop of life, its sharp frame, and an invisible bond between people. That is why the focus is on stubborn resilience, the ability to hold on to each other, to seek meaning, and to remain human in the darkest times. It is important for us to talk about our shared experience: about those on the front lines and those behind the scenes; about fear and hope, loss and new forms of closeness, about the invisible threads that connect people in war”.

The project is a continuation of the exhibition War Stories: Ukraine Up Close, which was first presented at the Netherlands Military Museum in the fall of 2024 and is on display now.

State of Will exhibition will also be supported by a side program, including public talks, tours and film screenings.

Location: Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Centre (Dovzhenko Centre), Film Museum,
1, Vasylkivska Str.
Kyiv
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The exhibition is organized on the initiative and with the support of the Netherlands Military Museum.
Curators team: Amuseum
Eddy van Wessel, photographer

Project partners: National Military History Museum, War Museum, Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, Zbirka bookstore
Information partners: SUSPILNE Culture, Ukrainian PEN