The «#ARTODESSA» gallery at the Summer Theater of the City Garden is excited to announce the grand opening of an exhibition dedicated to Matthieu Chazal (1975–2024), a gifted French photographer who captured beauty at the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures.

Matthieu first came to Odesa in 2011 and returned several times, especially after the onset of the full-scale invasion by Russia in March 2022. He fell in love with the city, and together we dreamed of establishing a photography house in Odesa. Although Matthieu is no longer with us, our shared dream lives on.

Matthieu Chazal (1975 – 2024) was an acclaimed French photographer and a recipient of numerous awards, documenting life at the fracture lines between East and West. A lover of life and a hedonist, Chazal spent nearly two decades traveling around the Black and Mediterranean Seas, exploring beauty from the Balkans to the Caucasus, from Greece to Armenia, from Ukraine to Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. However, his journey constantly led him to the grim realities of war. Not identifying as a war photographer—a title he disliked—Chazal left an impressive chronicle of some of the most horrific conflicts of this century. A philosopher by nature and education, Chazal created images that were indirect yet deeply humane reflections on life amidst the horrors of war and in spite of them. Soldiers sip tea during breaks between battles, dozing in the afternoon sun, swimming in rivers. People shop at markets, laugh, and celebrate love. The war is merely hinted at: a destroyed bridge or a broken umbrella. Here, life takes center stage, becoming even more vibrant through its fragility.

Grand opening: April 22 at 5 PM

The opening will feature Levantine music played on guitar and audio by Dmytro Zemskyi – it will be a joyous occasion, just as Matthieu would have loved.