Gone with the War

• Photographer
  Maria Pleshkova, Russian Federation
• Website
  https://www.mariapleshkova.com
• Instagram
  https://www.instagram.com/pleshkova

Nobody expects war to come to their home. But this is how it
happens: people live in a peaceful place and feel safe, then
everything changes in a moment and they find themselves in the
middle of danger. Conflict remains an unfortunate reality of the
human condition. Life is a lot more fragile than we think.
I reflected on how can I show this transience and fragility. What
can be a symbol of that?
At some point I collected postcards sent from the places which
later became war zones. Each postcard depicts a beautiful place –
now transformed, damaged or destroyed. I ripped the postcards
myself – it’s a symbolic representation of violence and destruction
going on nowadays in the different parts of the world. All the texts
are real: this is what people used to write their nearest and dearest
from the countries which are now under attack.
Although history of humankind is a history of endless wars, in this
particular project I focus on contemporary conflicts which are
much more destructive than the ancient ones due to new weapons
and patterns of conflict that include deliberate attacks against
civilians.
“Gone with the War” project was strongly influenced by humanistic
values. Among other things, it represents the aspiration for peace.
At the same time, the project a dialogue with the Memory and
reflection on the future of humankind.

Maria Pleshkova (b. 1986) is a multidisciplinary artist working in photography, video, and writing. In her work, Pleshkova explores the boundaries of self-portraiture. Her life and her art are inseparably connected: she lives her life through her art, making intimate and self-revealing projects. She explores the Microcosm, the human universe, and certain moments of the highest intensity of life. Pleshkova’s projects are always autobiographical, but the autobiography is just an excuse to talk about things that are universal and common to all humankind.

Awards 2017 Prix de la Photographie, Paris (Px3): Bronze Prize - Professional Fine Art Digitally Enhanced
2016 Dostoevsky Photography List (the list of 50 most interesting contemporary photographers of Russia and Ukraine according to Dostoevsky Photography Society, Netherlands)
2015 Photovisa, International Festival of Photography: First Prize in Multimedia Section
2015 Young Russian Photographers 2015: Laureate
2015 Photo Annual Awards: Honorable Mention
2014 International Photography Awards: Honorable mentions
2014 Prix de la Photographie, Paris (Px3): Silver Prize - Fine Art
2014 Prix de la Photographie, Paris (Px3): Bronze Prize - Portraiture
2014 Photo Annual Awards: Honorable Mentions
2013 La Quatrième Image. Photo fair prize: 2nd prize
2013 International Photography Awards: Honorable mentions
2013 American Photography 29
2013 China International Press Photo Contest: Honorable mention - War & Disaster News Stories
2013 China International Press Photo Contest: Honorable mention - General News Stories
2012 International Photography Awards: Honorable Mention
2012 The Inge Morath Award: Finalist
2012 Young Russian Photographers 2012: Laureate
2012 China International Press Photo Contest: Gold prize - Nature & Environment News Stories
2012 China International Press Photo Contest: Bronze prize - Art Culture & Entertainment News Stories