Sergey MELNITCHENKO

Born in 1991 in Mykolayiv, Ukraine. Started photography in 2009.
In 2018 – founder of school of conceptual and art photography MYPH.
In recent years, took part in more than 150 solo and group exhibitions, fairs and festivals around the world.

Winner of Ukrainian and international awards including “Leica Oskar Barnack Award Newcomer” in 2017 (Berlin),
“Photographer of the Year” in 2012, 2013 and 2016 (Kyiv, Ukraine), “Golden Camera” in 2012 (Kyiv, Ukraine).
Shortlisted for Krakow Photomonth in 2013 and Pinchuk Art Center Prize in 2015, among others.
Nominated for the “Foam Paul Huf Award” in 2020.
From 2022 part of the “Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung” foundation (Münich, Germany).
Part of “FUTURES PHOTOGRAPHY” platform in 2022.

Participant of international artfairs, e.g. Paris Photo, Volta Basel, Photo L.A. Los Angeles, Photo Basel, Unseen Amsterdam etc.

Works in private and public collections in USA, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Japan, Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland etc.


Please scroll down for entire list of exhibitions and awards.

Young and free?

Fields generously strewn with plastic garbage that are scattered from the landfill after a hurricane, a smog that covered the whole country from fires in the Chernobyl forests. Young and free? – This is a question for the whole generation, for the generation of millennials, which, under existing conditions, is on the forefront and should take responsibility. Now there is a decisive transition from the point of uncertainty to the formation of a long-term vector. You can fall into the trap, take as a basis the ideals created by the predecessors and again crash. Or make a choice, while maintaining your right to freedom of opportunity.

Personal Exhibitions

2022 • “Fundamental Space Explorations of Naked Singularity” with Mitya Fenechkin – “Asortymentna kimnata” gallery, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
2022 • “Young and free? / Metaheroes” – Esther Okada Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2021 • “Fundamental Space Explorations of Naked Singularity” – Vasli Souza Gallery, Oslo, Norway
2020 • “Young and free”, Leica 6×7 Gallery, curator Adam Mazur – Warsaw, Poland
2019 • “From Dusk Till Dawn”, f22 foto space – Hong Kong
2019 • “Schwarzenegger is my idol”, Museum of Kharkiv School of Photography – Kharkiv, Ukraine
2019 • Leica Gallery London – London, UK
2018 • “Behind the scenes”, European Month of Photography, Galéria Michalský dvor – Bratislava, Slovakia
2018 • “Only Now Only Never”, FACE Foundation – Kyiv, Ukraine
2018 • “Loneliness online”, SomoS Art Gallery – Berlin, Germany
2018 • Sztuka w dialogu, “Loneliness online and Polaroids from China”, Piekno Panie Gallery – Lublin, Poland
2018 • “Behind The Scenes”, Claude Samuel Gallery – Paris, France
2017 • “PLAYDAY”, Face Foundation/Mironova Gallery – Kyiv, Ukraine
2017 • “Paris Photo 2017″, ”Behind The Scenes”/Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2017
2017 • ”Behind The Scenes” – Mykolayiv, Ukraine
2017 • ”Behind The Scenes”, Trzecie Oko Gallery – Krakow, Poland
2015 • “Les Amours Imaginaries” Landskrona Fotofestival – Landskrona, Sweden
2014 • “Military Commissariat”, Estudio Ñ – Valdivia, Chile
2014 • “Schwarzenegger Is My Idol” In Frames Of “Off_Festival Bratislava 2014” –
2014 • Art-Book Presentation In Frames Of Private Residency Program “The Muzychi Expanded History Project” – Kyiv, Ukraine
2014 • “Schwarzenegger Is My Idol”, Fiebre Galería – Buenos Aires, Argentina
2014 • “Les Amours Imaginaries” Odessa Museum Of Modern Art “Arteria”– Odessa
2014 • “Les Amours Imaginaries”, Closer – Kyiv, Ukraine
2013 • “Schwarzenegger Is My Idol” – Showoff Section Of Krakow Photomonth Festival
2013 • “Schwarzenegger Is My Idol” – Lviv, Ukraine
2012 • “Nails” – Krivoy Rog, Ukraine



Awards and Residences

2022 • Selection to “Futures Photography” platform, nominated by ISSP
2022 • 16 works selected to be a part of “Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung” foundation collection – Munich, Germany
2022 • Shortlist of Kolga Tbilisi Photo Award 2022 – Tbilisi, Georgia
2020 • Residency at 6. Festiwal Fotografii “W Ramach Sopotu”, curator Adam Mazur – Sopot, Poland
2020 • Nomination on Foam Paul Huf Award – Amsterdam, Netherlands
2019 • Klaipeda Photography Residency Program – Klaipeda, Lithuania
2019 • Shortlist of Second Biennale of Young Art – Kharkiv, Ukraine
2018 • Shortlist of Batumi Photodays – Batumi, Georgia
2018 • Shortlist of Kolga Tbilisi Photo Award 2018 – Tbilisi, Georgia
2018 • Featured in the NEW VISIONS – Cortona On The Move 2018 – Cortona, Italy
2018 • One of 20 winners and jurors’ pick of DEBUTS 2018, the book and travelling exhibition – Warsaw, Poland
2018 • Shortlist of main exhibition “Off Limits” in frames of Odesa Photo Days Festival – Odesa, Ukraine
2017 • Winner Of “Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award 2017” – Berlin, Germany
2017 • 1st Place In The National Awards “Photographer Of The Year 2016”, Street Professional Category – Kyiv, Ukraine
2016 • “Dostoevsky List” The Most Actual Contemporary Photographers From Russia And Ukraine – Amsterdam, Netherlands
2015 • Short-List Of Pinchuk Art Centre Prize – Kyiv, Ukraine
2015 • Honorable Mention At “Photo Annual Awards 2015” – Teplice, Czech
2014 • Shortlist of “Off_Festival Bratislava 2014” – Bratislava, Slovakia
2014 • Private Residency Program “The Muzychi Expanded History Project” – Kyiv, Ukraine
2014 • Finalist Of Educational Program For Artists And Festival Of Youth Projects “Non Stop Media VII” – Kharkiv, Ukraine
2014 • II Place In Contest “Photographer Of The Year 2013” In Nomination “Fine Art” – Kyiv, Ukraine
2013 • Shortlisted For “Media Art Festival” – Krasnoyarsk, Russia
2013 • Nomination For The Fifth Cycle Of The Prix Pictet, Consumption – London, UK
2013 • Featured Artist Of London Analogue Festival – London, UK
2013 • Shortlist Of Krakow Photomonth Festival – Krakow, Poland
2013 • International Contest “Golden Camera 2012” – 1st Place In Nomination “Conceptual Photography”, Amateur – Kyiv, Ukraine
2013 • Winner Of Contest “Photographer Of The Year 2012” In Nomination “Series Of The Year (Fine Art)” – Kyiv, Ukraine
2012 • Finalist Of 3rd Portfolio Review – Kyiv, Ukraine

Group Exhibitions / Fairs / Projections / Festivals

2022 • IN BETWEEN, triple show, Galerie KUNSTKOMPLEX, Wuppertal, Germany
2022 • UNSEEN AMSTERDAM Photography Fair with “Vasli Souza” Gallery (Oslo, Norway) – Amsterdam, Netherlands
2022 • UKRAINIAN VOICES OF ART – Ukrainian Art in frames of Berlin Art Week – Berlin, Germany
2022 • Beyond Code and Time, Pavilion 0/4 – Arsenale Nord, Venice, Italy
2022 • «Ukrainian revival», The Monegasque National Committee of the International Association of Plastic Arts at UNESCO – Monaco
2022 • ”Body as Propaganda“, the Negpos Photographic Art Center – Nimes, France
2022 • «Umso stärker schlägt mein Herz”, Kunstraum Kreuzlingen – Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
2022 • Photo Basel fair with ISSP Gallery (Riga) – Basel, Switzerland
2022 • NFT charity auction – Zürich, Switzerland
2022 • International Art Fair “Art Compensa” – Vilnius, Lithuania
2022 • “Focus Ukraine”, Kunstsammlungen & Museen Augsburg – Augsburg, Germany
2022 • “Schwarzenegger is my idol”, Maison de la Photographie – Lille, France
2022 • Oil Blood Liberty, Kunsthalle Hannover – Hannover, Germany
2022 • KOLGA AWARD – Georgia, Tbilisi
2022 • Holding the line, Creative Resistance from Ukraine – SomoS art gallery, Berlin
2022 • War Amulet – Vilnius, Luthuania
2022 • “Affordable Art Fair” with Galerie Prints – London, UK
2022 • No War – Galerie N° 15, Cochem, Germany
2022 • Photography4Peace – Klaipeda, Lithuania
2021 • Maison Claude Samuel – Paris, France
2021 • „Zefyras/Zephyr”, Klaipėda Cultural Communication Center (KCCC) – Klaipeda, Lithuania
2021 • Expo 2020 – Dubai, UAE
2021 • “VOLTA art fair 16” with Tuasho Gallery – Basel, Switzerland
2021 • “Unseen” fair photobook section – Amsterdam, Netherlands
2021 • “Photo London” with Galerie Prints – London, UK
2021 • “NoTaboo” – Municipal Gallery, Kharkiv, Ukraine
2021 • “Sensitivity” – Mystetskiy Arsenal, Kyiv, Ukraine
2021 • “Affordable Art Fair” with Galerie Prints – London, UK
2021 • “Locktown” – Open ArtGallery, Milan, Italy
2021 • “DEPTH. DREAM. UNIVERSE” – Mironova Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine
2021 • Part of “Phroom Platform”at “Odessa Photo Days Festival” – Odessa, Ukraine
2021 • Lusted Men at PhotoSaintGermain – Paris, France
2020 • “Military Commissariat” in frames of “Time to collect” exhibition, Museum of modern art – Odessa, Ukraine
2020 • “Behind the scenes” – 40 years of Leica Oskar Barnack Award – Leitz Park, Wetzlar, Germany
2020 • “Young and free?” at Kyiv Art Week fair online edition with Mironova Gallery – Kyiv, Ukraine
2020 • “Zapping the Archive”, project screenings by PHROOM magazine in frames of Getxophoto Festival – Getxo, Spain
2020 • “Young and free?” at Photo Basel fair Berlin edition with Mironova Gallery – Berlin, Germany
2020 • “Young and free” at 6. Festiwal Fotografii “W Ramach Sopotu”, curator Adam Mazur – Sopot, Poland
2020 • “PHOTO LA, Virtual Collect + Connect” fair (Boris Mikhailov, Roger Ballen, Sergey Melnitchenko), Mironova Gallery – Los Angeles, USA
2020 • Riga Photomonth – Riga, Latvia
2020 • “Artificial Pain”, CENTRUM SZTUKI WSPÓŁCZESNEJ_W TORUNIU – Torun, Poland
2020 • “Chamber of: “, Lou Carter Gallery – Paris, France
2019 • LOVE, LUST & FURY / Contemporary Ukrainian Photography, KLAIPEDA CULTURE COMMUNICATION CENTER (KCCC) – Klaipeda, Lithuania
2019 • “Through the Lens: Unbending Life”, The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) – Chicago, USA
2019 • “The body of propaganda”, Latvian Museum of Photography – Riga, Latvia
2019 • UPHA IN DA OFFICE, Starlight media – Kyiv, Ukraine
2019 • face2face exhibition of Sergey Melnitchenko & MYPH collective – Mykolayiv, Ukraine
2019 • Daring youth – mostra fotografica, Open Art Week, Museo civico di Palazzo della Penna – Perugia, Italy
2019 • Photo Kyiv Fair, presented by Mironova Gallery – Kyiv, Ukraine
2019 • Let us in: together – Paris, France
2019 • “Between Fire and Fire: Ukrainian Art Now”, Semperdepot – Vienna, Austria
2019 • Second Biennale of Young Art – Kharkiv, Ukraine
2019 • “Memory Inversion” Mironova Gallery – Kyiv, Ukraine
2019 • “The Forbidden Image”, a solo exhibition by Boris Mikhailov & Kharkiv School of Photography and the continuation of its attitude and thinking with emerging artists, Pinchuk Art Centre – Kyiv, Ukraine
2019 • UPHA: Made in Ukraine, AKT + BOOKSHA – Kyiv, Ukraine
2019 • VOLTA Art Fair, “Her” series – Basel, Switzerland
2019 • “DEBUTS episode 4” in frames of Krakow Photomonth – Krakow, Poland
2019 • “From Red to Blue and Yellow” auction, Bereznitsky Art Foundation – Kyiv, Ukraine
2019 • Armenia Art Fair “Her” series – Yerevan, Armenia
2019 • TAF “Tbilisi Art Fair” Photo Kyiv Booth, “Her” series – Tbilisi, Georgia
2019 • Political as personal. Personal as public. – Mykolayiv, Ukraine
2018 • “Who’s here?” at PHOTO IS:RAEL – Tel Aviv, Israel
2018 • “Discovery Art Fair” – Frankfurt, Germany
2018 • “Photo Kyiv vol.2” Photography Art Fair – Kyiv, Ukraine
2018 • Night of Photo Projections in Tsekh Gallery – Vilnius, Lithuania
2018 • “So sweet Ukraine” projection at Suwon Photo Festival – Suwon, South Korea
2018 • “DEBUTS episode 3” in frames of Vintag Photo Festival – Bydgoszcz, Poland
2018 • “Off Limits pt.3” in frames of Odesa Photo Days Festival – Kyiv, Ukraine
2018 • Maribor photography festival – Maribor, Slovenia
2018 • “DEBUTS episode 2” in frames of Sopot Photography Festival – Sopot, Poland
2018 • “So sweet Ukraine” projection at International Photography Symposium. NIDA2018 – Nida, Lithuania
2018 • Batumi Photo Days – Batumi, Georgia
2018 • “Transeúntes” by Fiftydots Gallery, Voies Off 2018 in frames of Les Rencontres de la photographie – Arles, France
2018 • “Off Limits pt.2” in frames of Odesa Photo Days Festival – Chernivtsy, Ukraine
2018 • Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2017 winners exhibition, Galerie Łdk, in frames of Fotofestiwal Lodz – Lodz, Poland
2018 • “DEBUTS episode 1” exhibition and the book “DEBUTS” premiere in frames of Fotofestiwal Lodz – Lodz, Poland
2018 • Millerntor Gallery #8 – Hamburg, Germany
2018 • VOLTA14 art fair in frames of Art Basel – Basel, Switzerland
2018 • Fototeca Siracusana Estate Fotografia 2^ Edizione in frames of Med Photo Fest – Syracuse, Italy
2018 • Alghero Street Photography Awards Festival – Alghero, Italy
2018 • Kyiv Art Week, Artsvit Gallery, “Passengers” – Kyiv, Ukraine
2018 • Kyiv Art Week, Mironova Gallery, “Behind the scenes” – Kyiv, Ukraine
2018 • Kolga Tbilisi Photo Award 2018 – Tbilisi, Georgia
2018 • “Travel, Discovery, Aesthetics and Photography” in frames of INTERNATIONAL İZMİR PHOTO DAYS – Izmir, Turkey
2018 • “Off Limits” in frames of Odesa Photo Days Festival – Odesa, Ukraine
2018 • “Sensitive Surface 2.0”, Vasli Souza Fotogaleri – Malmö, Sweden
2018 • Exhibition Of “Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2017” Winners And Finalists, Leica Gallery In Leitz Park – Wetzlar, Germany
2017 • Photolux Festival/The Exhibition Of The Two Winning Projects And All The Finalists Of Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2017 – Lucca, Tuscany, Italy
2017 • Little Odessa Gallery – Paris, France
2017 • “Photographie Contemporaine D’ukraine”, Centre Culturel D’ukraine En France – Paris, France
2017 • “Photo Kyiv” Photography Art Fair – Kyiv, Ukraine
2017 • Photography On A Postcard Private View – London, UK
2017 • Leica Oskar Barnack Award Winners And Finalists – Berlin, Germany
2017 • Projection “Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2017” Voies Off Festival/Les Rencontres Internacionales De La Photographie – Arles, France
2017 • The Smell Of Dust III – São Paulo, Brazil
2016 • Freierfest – Odessa, Ukraine
2016 • The Smell Of Dust Iii During Les Rencontres Internacionales De La Photographie – Arles, France
2016 • Pasa Página, Days Of The Artist´S Book – Chisinau, Moldova
2016 • Fresh Paint Art Fair In Collaboration With Artbit – Tel Aviv, Israel
2015 • “Mama, I’ve Just Killed A Man” – Berlin, Germany
2015 • Finalists Of Pinchuk Art Centre Prize – Kyiv, Ukraine
2015 • “Game Into Reality” In Frames Of Gogolfest – Kyiv, Ukraine
2015 • “Love And War In Ukraine” In Frames Of Spine – International Photobook Festival – Stockholm, Sweden
2015 • Slideluck Show – Oakland, California, USA
2015 • Winners Of “Photo Annual Awards 2015” – Teplice, Czech
2015 • “Hybrid Reality” – Kyiv, Ukraine
2015 • Feira Morta V – Lisbon, Portugal
2015 • «Ukrainian Photography: In Progress» In Frames Of “Odessa//Batumi Photo Days 2015” – Odessa, Ukraine
2015 • “Зато Любов” – Kherson, Ukraine
2015 • “Подія” With Andrii Konontsev – Zlin, Czech
2015 • “Part 4” With Roman Pyatkovka – Zaporozhye, Ukraine
2014 • “Inner Ukraine” In Frames Of “Terra Futura Xiii” Festival – Kherson, Ukraine
2014 • “Personal/Political” In Frames Of “Art-Kyiv Contemporary Ix” – Kyiv, Ukraine
2014 • “Terror Of Small Differences” – Kharkiv, Ukraine
2014 • “Ukrainian Zigafolk” – Kyiv, Ukraine
2014 • London Analogue Festival – London, UK
2014 • “Guilt” In Frames Of “Non Stop Media Vii” – Kharkiv, Ukraine
2014 • The Aesthetic Of Man – Amsterdam, Netherlands
2014 • Upha “Аfteryesterday” – Odessa, Ukraine
2014 • “Resistant” In Frames Of Parallel Program Of 4th Moscow International Biennale For Young Art – Moscow, Russia
2014 • “Don’t Even Dream!” In Frames Of Parallel Program Of 4th Moscow International Biennale For Young Art – Moscow, Russia
2014 • Der Greif – “A Process” – Ausburg, Germany
2014 • “Evolution” – Uzhgorod, Ukraine
2014 • “Ukrainian Women Complex” – Odessa, Ukraine
2014 • “Photographer Of The Year 2013” – Kyiv, Ukraine
2013 • “Posterjunkies” Official Launching Event – Amsterdam, Netherlands
2013 • London Analogue Festival – London, UK
2013 • Ii International Fotokinofestival – Sebastopol, Ukraine
2013 • With “Look” Group – Chernigiv, Ukraine
2013 • “The Urge To Archiving” In Frames Of Vizii Festival – Kyiv, Ukraine
2013 • “Golden Camera 2012” – Kyiv, Ukraine
2013 • “Photographer Of The Year 2012” – Kyiv, Ukraine
2013 • “Monthly Payment / Idols” – Moscow, Russia
2012 • First International Festival Of Arts – Odessa, Ukraine
2012 • First International Fotokinofestival – Sebastopol, Ukraine
2012 • Upha “Cult Of The Body” – London, UK