NA4JOPM8. IGOR CHEKACHKOV

“NA4JOPM8” is the name of the photographic series by Ukrainian photographer Igor Chekachkov, which appeared after the author’s hard drive of the same name with his ten-year archive of 250,000 photographs was accidentally destroyed and then restored. However, only partially. The photographs, which became broken files, were tested by circumstances and later experienced long-term artistic reflection.

The photo book raises social and political issues of Ukrainian society through personal stories, addressing through them such universal human experiences as loss and passion, intimacy and loneliness. The randomness of computer algorithms allowed the photographer to realize the goal that he had set for himself for several years in a row — to unite in one series the two poles of his practice — the image of private and public life.

Writer Oleksandr Mykhed writes about Chekachkov’s series as follows: “This is a story about a brilliant mistake, a system failure that leads to the creation of a new system. In a world obsessed with perfectionism and total control of every detail, mistakes happen, mistakes of incredible beauty.”

The publication was made possible thanks to donors on the crowdfunding platform “Spilnokosht”, as well as with the support of the European Union and the International Renaissance Foundation within the framework of the joint initiative EU4USociety. The material reflects the position of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the position of the International Renaissance Foundation and the European Union.