The Choice

The Day’s photo exhibit at the Khmelnytsky Museum of Contemporary Art ended on January 14 and the results of the audience choice contest were announced. After the public tally of the 404 ballots, it became clear that the majority of the audience voted for Mykola Lazarenko’s photograph simply titled “The Path.”

Pavlo Karnaukh of the Khmelnytsky-based museum says that the name of the photograph, short as a burst of gunfire, leads to certain conclusions regarding its creator’s gift of foresight. “When an artist is creating a work of art, he knows nothing about its future fate until it is displayed,” commented Mr. Karnaukh. On November 11, 2004, when editor in chief Larysa Ivshyna opened The Day’s 2004 photo exhibit in Khmelnytsky, city council secretary Mykhailo Vasylyshyn assured those present at the ceremony that the municipal authorities would treat the contestant voted tops by unbiased viewers with the utmost attention.

Mayor Mykola Prystupa thanked The Day’s photo correspondent Mykola Lazarenko for his talented work. “We got in touch with Nina Kosarieva, who is well regarded in Ukraine’s art circles as a craftswoman and artist. Using various techniques, such as stamping, perforation, network, and incrustation, she created a unique leather cover for a photo album, which we are presenting to the contest winner. We hope that Mr. Lazarenko wins many more contests and keeps his beautiful works in this album,” said the secretary of the Khmelnytsky City Council.

At the closing ceremony members of the audience applauded when they heard Mr. Vasylyshyn’s announcement that the mayor of Khmelnytsky, Mykola Prystupa, had sent his personal greetings to Ms. Ivshyna. Owing to her support, his city has now had a second opportunity to look at life in Ukraine through the eyes of our most talented photographers, the mayor’s message stated. As one guest wrote in the visitors’ book, “I felt something stirring in my soul, something that I thought was dead or at least asleep.”

“This gave us the idea to design a calendar for 2005, using the best photographs from the exhibit. If Ms. Ivshyna gives her approval, the city authorities are prepared to cooperate,” said the secretary of the city council.

Virtually every photograph displayed at this year’s exhibit got its share of viewer attention While Yury Vernyhora’s Choice placed second, every photo received at least one or two votes.

“This means that the organizers of the contest did a good job of selecting the best works that portray life’s unique moments,” said Liudmyla Zadorozhna, director of the Khmelnytsky Museum of Contemporary Art.