Schwarzenegger is My Idol, 1 Limited Edition, Hahnemühle Rag Baryta Print, 2012

Schwarzenegger Is My Idol 1' Limited Edition Hahnemühle Rag Baryta print Edition size 10 only. Large 20 x 24'' inches paper size. by Sergey Melnitchenko 2012-2013 “Schwarzenegger Is My Idol” is the story about the young guys from Nikolayev (Ukraine) who are united by one thing – it’s a goal to become the best of the best and they will do everything possible to achieve it. The photos show the young people who engage in athletics, acrobatics, fitness, and bodybuilding. I asked one of the boys to tell me what role his hobby plays in his life. Here’s what he told me: “For me, my sport is what I live for. Daily control and hard work – that leads me to success. Sport disciplines a man, enables him to understand the value of labor, the value of choice. I always wanted to be something more than an ordinary man in the street, more colossal than an ordinary representative of the society, so in my sport I do all the best I can, because I want to reach the top”. Why are my 'models' naked on photos? I think it adds them a kind of courage and naturalness. Of course it also looks funny and ironic. About Sergey Melnitchenko : SERGEY MELNITCHENKO Born in 1991 in Mykolayiv, Ukraine. Member of UPHA – Ukrainian Photographic Alternative. Started photography in 2009 and for less than 10 years participated in more than 70 solo and group exhibitions around the world. Winner of Ukrainian and International competitions, including the “Photographer of the year” 2012, 2013 and 2016 (Kiev, Ukraine), “Golden Camera 2012” (Kyiv, Ukraine), one of 10 finalists of the Showoff section within the month of photography in Krakow 2013, shortlist of “Pinchuk Art Center Prize 2015”. “Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award 2017”. Participant of “Paris Photo 2017″ and “VOLTA14” in frames of Art Basel 2018, etc. Works in private collections “Tomita Family” Private Collection – New York, USA “Grynyov Art Foundation” Private Collection – Kyiv, Ukraine Personal Exhibitions 2018 • “Loneliness online”, SomoS Art Gallery – Berlin, Germany 2018 • Sztuka w dialogu, “Loneliness online and Polaroids from China”, Piekno Panie Gallery – Lublin, Poland 2018 • “Behind The Scenes”, Claude Samuel Gallery – Paris, France 2017 • “PLAYDAY”, Face Foundation/Mironova Gallery – Kyiv, Ukraine 2017 • “Paris Photo 2017″, ”Behind The Scenes”/Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2017 – Paris, France 2017 • ”Behind The Scenes” – Mykolayiv, Ukraine 2017 • ”Behind The Scenes”, Trzecie Oko Gallery – Krakow, Poland 2015 • “Les Amours Imaginaries” In Frames Of Landskrona Fotofestival – Landskrona, Sweden 2014 • “Military Commissariat”, Estudio Ñ – Valdivia, Chile 2014 • “Schwarzenegger Is My Idol” In Frames Of “Off_Festival Bratislava 2014” – Bratislava, Slovakia 2014 • Art-Book Presentation In Frames Of Private Residency Program “The Muzychi Expanded History Project” – Kyiv, Ukraine 2014 • “Schwarzenegger Is My Idol”, Fiebre Galería – Buenos Aires, Argentina 2014 • “Les Amours Imaginaries” Odessa Museum Of Modern Art “Arteria”– Odessa, Ukraine 2014 • “Les Amours Imaginaries”, Closer – Kyiv, Ukraine 2013 • “Schwarzenegger Is My Idol” – Showoff Section Of Krakow Photomonth Festival – Krakow, Poland 2013 • “Schwarzenegger Is My Idol” – Lviv, Ukraine 2012 • “Nails” – Krivoy Rog, Ukraine Group Exhibitions 2018 • “Transeúntes” by Fiftydots Gallery, Voies Off 2018 in frames of Les Rencontres de la photographie – Arles, France 2018 • “Off Limits” in frames of Odesa Photo Days Festival – Chernivtsy, Ukraine 2018 • Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2017 winners exhibition, Galerie Łdk, in frames of Fotofestiwal Lodz – Lodz, Poland 2018 • “DEBUTS episode 1” exhibition and the book “DEBUTS” premiere in frames of Fotofestiwal Lodz – Lodz, Poland 2018 • “Behind the scenes”, Millerntor Gallery #8 – Hamburg, Germany 2018 • “Behind the scenes”, Mironova Gallery at VOLTA14 in frames of Art Basel – Basel, Switzerland 2018 • “Behind the scenes” Fototeca Siracusana Estate Fotografia 2^ Edizione in frames of Med Photo Fest – Syracuse, Italy 2018 • “Behind the scenes”, Alghero Street Photography Awards Festival – Alghero, Italy 2018 • Kyiv Art Week, Artsvit Gallery, “Passengers” – Kyiv, Ukraine 2018 • Kyiv Art Week, Mironova Gallery, “Behind the scenes” – Kyiv, Ukraine 2018 • Kolga Tbilisi Photo Award 2018 – Tbilisi, Georgia 2018 • “Travel, Discovery, Aesthetics and Photography” in frames of INTERNATIONAL İZMİR PHOTO DAYS – Izmir, Turkey 2018 • “Off Limits” in frames of Odesa Photo Days Festival – Odesa, Ukraine 2018 • “Sensitive Surface 2.0”, Vasli Souza Fotogaleri – Malmö, Sweden 2018 • Exhibition Of “Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2017” Winners And Finalists, Leica Gallery In Leitz Park – Wetzlar, Germany 2017 • Photolux Festival/The Exhibition Of The Two Winning Projects And All The Finalists Of Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2017 – Lucca, Tuscany, Italy 2017 • Little Odessa Gallery – Paris, France 2017 • “Photographie Contemporaine D’ukraine”, Centre Culturel D’ukraine En France – Paris, France 2017 • “Photo Kyiv” Photography Art Fair – Kyiv, Ukraine 2017 • Photography On A Postcard Private View – London, UK 2017 • Leica Oskar Barnack Award Winners And Finalists – Berlin, Germany 2017 • Projection Of Finalists Of “Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2017” At Voies Off Festival During Les Rencontres Internacionales De La Photographie – Arles, France 2017 • The Smell Of Dust III – São Paulo, Brazil 2016 • Freierfest – Odessa, Ukraine 2016 • The Smell Of Dust Iii During Les Rencontres Internacionales De La Photographie – Arles, France 2016 • Pasa Página, Days Of The Artist´S Book – Chisinau, Moldova 2016 • Fresh Paint Art Fair In Collaboration With Artbit – Tel Aviv, Israel 2015 • “Mama, I’ve Just Killed A Man” – Berlin, Germany 2015 • Finalists Of Pinchuk Art Centre Prize – Kyiv, Ukraine 2015 • “Game Into Reality” In Frames Of Gogolfest – Kyiv, Ukraine 2015 • “Love And War In Ukraine” In Frames Of Spine – International Photobook Festival – Stockholm, Sweden 2015 • Slideluck Show – Oakland, California, USA 2015 • Winners Of “Photo Annual Awards 2015” – Teplice, Czech 2015 • “Hybrid Reality” – Kyiv, Ukraine 2015 • Feira Morta V – Lisbon, Portugal 2015 • «Ukrainian Photography: In Progress» In Frames Of “Odessa//Batumi Photo Days 2015” – Odessa, Ukraine 2015 • “Зато Любов” – Kherson, Ukraine 2015 • “Подія” With Andrii Konontsev – Zlin, Czech 2015 • “Part 4” With Roman Pyatkovka – Zaporozhye, Ukraine 2014 • “Inner Ukraine” In Frames Of “Terra Futura Xiii” Festival – Kherson, Ukraine 2014 • “Personal/Political” In Frames Of “Art-Kyiv Contemporary Ix” – Kyiv, Ukraine 2014 • “Terror Of Small Differences” – Kharkiv, Ukraine 2014 • “Ukrainian Zigafolk” – Kyiv, Ukraine 2014 • London Analogue Festival – London, UK 2014 • “Guilt” In Frames Of “Non Stop Media Vii” – Kharkiv, Ukraine 2014 • The Aesthetic Of Man – Amsterdam, Netherlands 2014 • Upha “Аfteryesterday” – Odessa, Ukraine 2014 • “Resistant” In Frames Of Parallel Program Of 4th Moscow International Biennale For Young Art – Moscow, Russia 2014 • “Don’t Even Dream!” In Frames Of Parallel Program Of 4th Moscow International Biennale For Young Art – Moscow, Russia 2014 • Der Greif – “A Process” – Ausburg, Germany 2014 • “Evolution” – Uzhgorod, Ukraine 2014 • “Ukrainian Women Complex” – Odessa, Ukraine 2014 • “Photographer Of The Year 2013” – Kyiv, Ukraine 2013 • “Posterjunkies” Official Launching Event – Amsterdam, Netherlands 2013 • London Analogue Festival – London, UK 2013 • Ii International Fotokinofestival – Sebastopol, Ukraine 2013 • With “Look” Group – Chernigiv, Ukraine 2013 • “The Urge To Archiving” In Frames Of Vizii Festival – Kyiv, Ukraine 2013 • “Golden Camera 2012” – Kyiv, Ukraine 2013 • “Photographer Of The Year 2012” – Kyiv, Ukraine 2013 • “Monthly Payment / Idols” – Moscow, Russia 2012 • First International Festival Of Arts – Odessa, Ukraine 2012 • First International Fotokinofestival – Sebastopol, Ukraine 2012 • Upha “Cult Of The Body” – London, UK Awards and Residences 2018 • Shortlist of Kolga Tbilisi Photo Award 2018 – Tbilisi, Georgia 2018 • Featured in the NEW VISIONS – Cortona On The Move 2018 – Cortona, Italy 2018 • One of 20 winners and jurors’ pick of DEBUTS 2018, the book and travelling exhibition – Warsaw, Poland 2018 • Shortlist of main exhibition “Off Limits” in frames of Odesa Photo Days Festival – Odesa, Ukraine 2017 • Winner Of “Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award 2017” – Berlin, Germany 2017 • 1st Place In The National Awards “Photographer Of The Year 2016”, Street Professional Category – Kyiv, Ukraine 2016 • “Dostoevsky List” The Most Actual Contemporary Photographers From Russia And Ukraine (2015/2016) – Dostoevsky Photography Society, Amsterdam, Netherlands 2015 • Short-List Of Pinchuk Art Centre Prize – Kyiv, Ukraine 2015 • Honorable Mention At “Photo Annual Awards 2015” – Teplice, Czech 2014 • Shortlist of “Off_Festival Bratislava 2014” – Bratislava, Slovakia 2014 • Private Residency Program “The Muzychi Expanded History Project” – Kyiv, Ukraine 2014 • Finalist Of Educational Program For Artists And Festival Of Youth Projects “Non Stop Media VII” – Kharkiv, Ukraine 2014 • II Place In Contest “Photographer Of The Year 2013” In Nomination “Fine Art” – Kyiv, Ukraine 2013 • Shortlisted For “Media Art Festival” – Krasnoyarsk, Russia 2013 • Nomination For The Fifth Cycle Of The Prix Pictet, Consumption – London, UK 2013 • Featured Artist Of London Analogue Festival – London, UK 2013 • One Of 10 Finalists Of Showoff Section In Frames Of Krakow Photomonth Festival – Krakow, Poland 2013 • International Contest “Golden Camera 2012” – 1st Place In Nomination “Conceptual Photography”, Amateur – Kyiv, Ukraine 2013 • Winner Of Contest “Photographer Of The Year 2012” In Nomination “Series Of The Year (Fine Art)” – Kyiv, Ukraine 2012 • Finalist Of 3rd Portfolio Review – Kyiv, Ukraine