Dymchuk Gallery, supported by the Ukrainian Emergency Art Fund (UEAF), within the “Cultural Emergency Response” programme of the Prince Claus Fund For Culture and Development, presents MYPH, a project dedicated to the conceptual art-photography school established by Serhiy Melnichenko in Mykolaiv, 2018. Since that moment, the school developed into a large community uniting students and graduates from all around Ukraine and abroad. After the Russian full-scale military invasion in Ukraine, the school has been participating in volunteering and helpiong gather funding to support the Ukrainian military and humanitarian aid.
The exhibition is complemented by the public presentation of MYPH catalogue issued by Rodovid publishing house, including works made by 63 authors from the school.
Curated by Serhiy Melnichenko & Maksym Kovalchuk.
The main goal of the school is to develop and richen the understanding of contemporary photography. The school’s primary objective is not only to educate, but also to promote and popularize its students’ works among galleries, professional published media, and collectors. For that purpose, the MYPH community, counting more than 100 active contemporary authors living in Ukraine and abroad, has been established. During four years of existence, MYPH organized and participated in more than 20 projects: exhibitions, festivals, fairs in Ukraine, Poland, Italy, France, Austria, Georgia, Hungary etc.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the school created its own NFT collection, that includes 333 photos. 50% of the money made are donated to help the armed forces of Ukraine and those suffering from the military activity.
Since the first days of war, Serhiy Melnichenko has been actively helping the Ukrainian military, volunteers, and citizens, donating money from selling his works and gathering financial aid from his colleagues, gallerists, and collectors from the whole world.
By August 1, 2022, he’s managed to donate 654 000 hryvnias, not mentioning 100 000 hryvnias his students gathered from selling their works.
About Serhity Melnichenko:
Serhiy Melnichenko was born in 1991, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. He started making photography in 2009. In 2018, he established MYPH, a school of conceptual art-photography. During the last few years, he participated in more than 150 personal and collective exhibitions, fairs, and festivals all around the globe.
Prizewinner of numerous Ukrainian and international contests, including Leica Oscar Barnack Newcomer (Berlin, 2017), ‘The photographer of the year’ 2012, 2013, and 2016 (Kyiv, Ukraine), ‘The golden camera’ (Kyiv, 2012). Short-listed in Krakow Photomonth 2013 and Pinchuk Art Centre 2015, etc.
Participated in Paris Photo, Volta Art Fair, Photo L.A., Photo Basel, Unseen fair, etc.
A Foam Paul Huf Award 2020 nominee.
Since 2022, Serhiy’s works have been introduced to Alexander-Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation, Munich, Germany.
A Futures Photography 2022 nominee.
Serhiy’s works belong to a variety of private and public collections in USA, Hongkong, Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, Belgium, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Japan, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, UK, Norway, etc.