Florian Gatzweiler

& Sascha Levin

Exhibited works:

Resting, 2022             

Anton at Z˙wirki, 2022                

T-Shirt, 2022 

from the series “ Z˙wirki”

Untitled, 2023–2025

Video, 4‘17“ 

from the series “Lotosik”

“After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Anton fled to Poland, just four days before his eighteenth birthday. He ended up stranded in the small Polish town of Subice, where we first met him among a group of other Ukrainians. We accompanied them as they were hanging out at Z˙wirki, which had become part of their new reality. While everyone was trying to adjust to the situation, Anton continued to struggle with questions about his future, setting him apart from his friends. After a few months, he moved from Subice to Hanover to Berlin. In January 2023, he made the decision to return to Ukraine and enlist in the army. In doing so, his uncertain journey came to an end, and he found a sense of community and belonging he had been missing.

Reflecting on the friendship with Anton and the other Ukrainians, a lot of common ground was established by internet culture. Despite growing up far away from each other, we felt a connection through the experiences we shared on different online platforms. We realized that we followed the same people, watched the same videos, and listened to the same music. 

When Anton returned to Ukraine, his Instagram stories became particularly interesting to us, and we started reflecting on this form of communication. For us, it became his digital diary and a mirror of his search for a new identity in the same way it is for many people of our generation.”