"When I was looking at the photos, I suddenly realized that none of us can be sure that we will never get to a closed institution."

"When I was looking at the photos, I suddenly realized that none of us can be sure that we will never get to a closed institution."

27 October 2021

A 3D exhibition of photographs by Oleksandr Chekmeniov "Welcome, no entry” became a special event of the 18th Travelling Docudays UA in the Kirovohrad region. The visitors did not hide their emotions, reconsidered their own experience, and discussed the observance of human rights in closed institutions with Bohdan Moisa, analyst of the Human Rights Department of the NGO Docudays.

 

"Photos of a woman with lilies and a woman with a doll impressed me. Their gentle looks reminded me of my late grandmother's eyes. Why are these people in the hospital? I remember my grandmother playing with dolls with pleasure and saying that she did not have these kinds of toys in her childhood. I even wanted to hug these women,” the visitor of the exhibition shared her impressions.

 

People said that the moment they saw the photos became the first time they realized they had never actually pondered on human rights abuses in closed psychiatric hospitals. The VR format of the exhibition complemented the concept and enhanced the impression from the photos. "When I was looking at photos, I suddenly realized that none of us can be sure that we will never get to a closed institution. I walked down the hall, saw the door and I wanted to open it. But the door did not open. People were sitting nearby, drinking coffee, but I couldn't get to them. I felt terrified in this closed space. And how do people who have lived in closed institutions like psychiatric hospitals for years feel?” said the teenager who visited the exhibition.

 

Follow the schedule of the Travelling Docudays UA in your locality and join the exhibition “Welcome. No entry ", film screenings, and human rights events of the festival!

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