Damn 2020s: Level -1

This photo project about Kyiv’s basement shelters is a continuation of my previous project, "Damn 2020s: Level 1" - a reflection on a new, effectively "lost" decade for us all, which has succeeded the "blind" 2010s.

In "Level -1" I continue to explore an aesthetic of anxiety, sleep deprivation, and horror, drawing on the visual style of old 2000s-era video games - this time set within basements.

The title, "Level -1," alludes to the floor designation often found in elevators and stairwells.

I document various spaces used as shelters in Kyiv, framing them as familiar liminal spaces - places defined by endless walls, haphazardly arranged furniture, and the persistent hum of light fixtures, where logic often seems absent. Ironically, much of the furniture found here comes from the apartments and offices of the 2000s - the very elements that once defined the visual landscape of that era.

The locations in this series were chosen deliberately. Against the backdrop of the shortage of adequate shelters in Kyiv, they highlight the reality that, in neighborhoods far from the metro, various absurd or makeshift spaces often serve as the only available refuge.

The photos show my own shelter in the basement offices of a residential building complex; a large shelter-basement near Lukiaviska metro station; KNUCA University shelter-basements and quest rooms near the central railway station that serve as shelters at night for residents of several nearby buildings; and shelters located at the Palace "Ukraine" and in several residential buildings in the heart of Kyiv.

Among the details, I also captured the items essential for my own "imaginary" comfort - things that help me fall asleep amidst potential explosions: a sleep mask and silicone earplugs.

A selection from the series was published by Mistosite.

Special thanks with the support of the Balbek Bureau charity foundation and their "Re: Ukrainian Shelters" project.