Die Augen des Krieges

26.03.2025 – 26.09.2025

Polish Institute Düsseldorf, Citadellstr. 7, 40213 Düsseldorf

On February 24, 2022, history was rewritten. For three years, we have been observing events that are changing not only the history of Ukraine and Russia, but also Poland, Europe, and the world.

Polish photographers and journalists document this history by showing both the Russian war against Ukraine, the flow of refugees, and everyday life in the war zone. They make up the largest group among foreign correspondents and are the creators of thousands of photos. Thanks to their work, the war in Ukraine is visible to people even in the most remote parts of the world. It does not appear as a conflict at the end of the world, but as a real, deeply shared tragedy.

This history is also changing Poland on many levels – from demographics to social change and political issues. At the same time, the war is gradually becoming more familiar to us citizens of the free world, and we are getting used to it. The selected photographs – the most representative and meaningful – are compiled into an exhibition and tell a story about the war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine. As material testimonies of this conflict, they can once again stir the growing indifference of public opinion.

The authors of the 12 exhibited photographs are prominent Polish photographers who have been awarded at major photo competitions such as World Press Photo and Pictures of The Year, including Wojciech Grzędziński, Marek Berezowski, Tomasz Lazar, and many others who have dealt with the war in Ukraine. The exhibition is complemented by descriptions of the personal war experiences of the photographers written by Magdalena Rigamonti.

Curator: Ewa Meissner

Text author: Magdalena Rigamonti

Graphic design: Maciej Jabłoński

Producer: Jarosław Włodarczyk / Press Club Polska

Partner in presenting the exhibition at the Polish Institute in Düsseldorf: Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Cologne and Consulate General of Ukraine in Düsseldorf

Photos by Patryk Jaracz, Agata Grzybowska, Jędrzej Nowicki, Tomasz Lazar, Maciek Nabrdalik, Maciej Stanik, Wojciech Grzędziński, Marek M. Berezowski

Tue, Wed and Fri 11 am - 5 pm. Thu 11 am - 7 pm