ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD
RECIPIENT • Volodymyr Voznyy - Horizons
JUROR • Dominique Hildebrand • Climate & Environment Photo Assignment Editor, The Washington Post
This is my daughter. The seashell acts as a 'conductor'—a link to the distant sea and her ancestors. In many cultures, the shell symbolizes not only journeys but also the voice of the past and memory passed down through time. It is like a 'telephone' to the roots of her lineage.
A space where time has stood still. The living room of a grandmother who lived her entire life in Boryslav is the physical embodiment of those very 'roots.' Polished furniture, bookshelves, and the light streaming from the window create an atmosphere of continuity. This is the environment that shaped the family's identity, where every object preserves the energy of years gone by.
The photo was taken at the Museum of the Oil and Gas Industry of Ukraine in Boryslav. In this space, the city's history stops being a legend and becomes something tangible. The image speaks to the connection with the earth, reminding us how the city's roots are intertwined with the depths of the soil. The man leaning over the model seems to be deciphering the secrets of the past and the principles by which his ancestors lived in the era when Boryslav was known as the 'Galician Eldorado. '
An image from the Boryslav city cemetery, where oil pumping units stand side-by-side with headstones. This is a visual metaphor for an unbroken cycle: the people who worked this land all their lives eventually become part of it, while the earth continues to give its energy to future generations. It is a place where the city’s industrial history and personal family memory merge into a single landscape, reminding us that our roots are buried deep within the very soil that sustained us.
The Tysmenytsia River appears here not as a living artery of the city, but as a cluttered, dry bed suffering from chronic water scarcity and oil pollution. This is a visual testament to the ecological price Boryslav paid for its status as an industrial giant.
A unique and surreal landscape of a Boryslav courtyard. In the middle of a snow-covered playground, right beneath the windows of an ordinary apartment building, iron pipes rise from the ground. These are part of a vacuum system designed to vent gas from sealed oil shafts to prevent explosive accumulations. Boryslav is the only city in the world built directly atop a commercial oil field, and these pipes are the lifelines protecting residents from the invisible dangers beneath their homes.
This is a panorama of one of the oldest districts in Boryslav, known locally by the somber name 'Pomerla' (The Dead One). This is the very spot where the oil rush ignited in the 19th century, transforming a quiet village into the 'Galician Eldorado.' The name 'Pomerla' echoes the times when the land, exhausted by oil extraction, became uninhabitable, and the grueling labor in the shafts took the lives and health of thousands of workers. Today, the landscape is a mosaic of private homes, industrial remains, and thick greenery attempting to heal the scars of the past. For the series, this is the final point: from a child's imagination and the seashell to the actual cradle of history—a place where every hill and every name breathes with the spirit of the ancestors.
This photo captures a daily ritual of Boryslav residents. Since the city’s water supply follows a strict schedule, trips to the forest springs have become a part of life for every generation. The image shows the simple act of passing a bottle of clean water, symbolizing mutual aid and a shared way of life.
Before us is a handmade entomological collection purchased at a flea market. Butterflies, beetles, and dragonflies, pinned to a simple wooden board, appear as a frozen attempt to document the biodiversity of a region that has been destroyed by the oil industry for decades.
What lies ahead for Boryslav—a city that exhausted its depths but continues to live on their fumes? The 'breathing pipes' in courtyards and dried-up riverbeds raise questions about survival that have no answers.
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Nearly every month, my little daughter and I would visit Boryslav, where my wife's grandmother had lived her entire life. The incredible atmosphere of these lands interested me and made me delve deeper into its history. Among the classics of Ukrainian literature, you can find Ivan Franko's 'Borislav Laughs' and 'Boa Constrictor.' After revisiting these works, I felt compelled to share the story of Boryslav and its people, as well as my feelings and emotions. This is how 'Horizons' my series of photographs, was born. It demonstrates intricate the relationships between people and nature while showcasing the contrasting historical facets of this city. Time has ruthlessly changed Boryslav's face. Once a top-3 player in global oil production, it has now become a remote province living through the harsh consequences of industrial activity. This city led me to experiment with medium format photography to avoid any accidents and to down the process of creating a picture. I also took the time to become acquainted with the city and its residents - a place that had held little significance for me before my daughter's birth. Today, Boryslav is intertwined family's history and my daughter's earliest memories.
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As a juror for this year’s CENTER Environmental Award, I had the pleasure of experiencing entries that revealed both the beauty of our world and the harm humanity inflicts upon it. I was struck by the many ways lens-based artists expressed their relationships to the environment through both technique and narrative.
At the heart of the strongest work was a clear understanding of the complex relationship between people and the planet. This connection is what draws viewers in. It is how visual storytelling builds empathy, deepens understanding, and inspires action. For me, it was essential that the selected project demonstrate not only technical strength, but a nuanced and compelling portrayal of this relationship.
No project achieved this more effectively than Volodymyr Voznyy’s Horizons. Through layered and deliberate imagery, the work reveals the complex bond between a community and its environment. Like many towns shaped by extractive industries, this is a relationship defined by both dependence and damage. The photographs convey a palpable sense of harmony, while also reflecting loss. Each image is dynamic, inviting sustained attention and asking the viewer to sit with the tension between connection and consequence.
There are many ways to depict the beauty of the natural world, just as there are many ways to portray its destruction. What distinguishes Horizons is its ability to exist in the space between, where complexity, contradiction, and lived experience come into focus. It is within this space that the most powerful and enduring environmental storytelling emerges.
– Alice Gabriner • Consulting Director, The Center for Contemporary Documentation
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The project was shot on 6x7 medium format film. Therefore, for the exhibition, I would like to produce prints no smaller than 40x50 cm. However, I am open to any suggestions you may have regarding the display and mounting of the works.