“War Up Close” exhibit at Centenary to provide virtual reality glimpse at war in Ukraine
SHREVEPORT, LA — “War Up Close,” a virtual reality photography museum created by Ukrainian photojournalist Mykola Omelchenko, will be open for an exclusive one-day viewing at Centenary College on Tuesday, March 19. The “museum” immerses viewers in before and after images of Ukraine in an effort to show the physical devastation and human toll of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.
“War Up Close” will be available for viewing in the lobby of Centenary’s Student Union Building from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on March 19. The photographer, Mykola Omelchenko, will be in attendance along with Alexandr Krapivkin, the North American community manager for Klych, a nonprofit focused on advocacy through Ukrainian cultural projects and events. The “War Up Close” exhibit is free and open to the public.
The exhibit utilizes both an Oculus presentation where viewers can “walk around” and virtually explore an area and other viewer devices that allow patrons to have a 360 degree view of images from a fixed location. Omelchenko, a seasoned photojournalist in Ukraine, worked to create the “War Up Close” experience during a time when the Russian government was denying responsibility for military strikes on non-military targets such as residential areas and cultural centers, instead advancing claims that the Ukrainian government was faking or modifying images showing this destruction. Omelchenko wanted people to be able to explore for themselves, so the images in the exhibit are presented without captions or commentary.
Since its creation, “War Up Close” has been presented in locations around the world, including Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, and North America.
More information on “War Up Close” is available at war.city.