NA4JOPM8

“NA4JOPM8” — the name of the photo series by Ukrainian photographer Igor Chekachkov. It appeared after Chekachkov’s eponymous hard drive with a ten-year archive of 250,000 photographs was accidentally destroyed and later (partially) restored. The photos (that later became damaged files) went through unpredictable circumstances and deep artistic reflection. The photo book addresses Ukrainian social and political issues through personal stories of universal experiences such as loss, passion, intimacy, and loneliness. Random computer algorithms meant that Chekachkov accomplished the goal he had set and postponed for several years. He combined two vectors of his practice into one, thus consolidating private and public life images into one series.

Igor Chekachkov is a photographer and educator. Started as a photojournalist in 2008, in his artistic practice, he focused on the body as a target for a political subjection, exploring the boundaries between public and intimate spaces. Questioning the medium of photography, one of the areas Chekachkov works in is various computer algorithms and how they affect photography. His work has been published in Forbes, National Geographic, The Guardian (UK), Le Monde (France), Wirtschafts Wochesince (Germany), Forbes (Ukraine) and others. He also continues to exhibit his prints internationally in both solo and group exhibitions, including work in the La Quitreme Image, Paris (2014), Galerie Claude Samuel, Paris (2015), Ukrainian Museum, New York (2015), Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles (2015), Odessa // Batumi festival (2017) and many others. Member of UPHA (Ukrainian Photographic Alternative) and UAPF (Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers) group, National Society of Photo Artists of Ukraine. He also teaches at the independent Photography Academy, which he founded in 2017.