Chernobyl project photo exhibit

The work of the Burren Chernobyl Project in Belarus is set to be documented through a series of photographs, which it is hoped will be exhibited both here and in Minsk.

The Burren Chernobyl Project (BCP) was established in 1993 to help with child and adult victims of the fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosion.
Brian O’Sullivan is medical director of the North Clare-based charity. He is travelling with volunteers to Belarus next week. “We decided to bring a photographer with us. We are continually trying to find new ways of raising awareness of the project. Photography can tell a story and in Belarus, there are a lot of stories to be told,” he said.
Brian is hoping that the photographs, which will be taken by Limerick photographer Maurice Gunning, will pay dividends in the future.
“Every charity has to find new ways of being more creative in how they present themselves and the whole area of photography is very exciting because other media can only capture so much. We are bringing a photographer in order to highlight the positives. Many charities have focused on negative things but now it is time to bring back images of the positive work that has been done there and highlight that,” he explained.
Maurice plans to take his fine art documentary approach to his work in Belarus with the Burren Chernobyl Project when he travels with them on August 4. This will be his first series of images for the project and he is anticipating it to be a rewarding week.
Working alongside Brian, Maurice will travel to some of the remote areas affected by the nuclear fallout, along with visiting a number of BCP’s 28 projects across Belarus.
“In terms of what will come from this trip, nothing is finalised yet because I don’t know what to expect fully out there. What I find will dictate the approach I take with it. In a way, this could be the start of several trips. Primarily, we will travel to different areas and photograph those areas and that series of work might be enough to exhibit on its own but realistically I would see myself going back and concentrating on specific areas. I plan to exhibit the work here and hopefully in Minsk but this isn’t like a photojournalist approach of take the shots, come back, publish them, I think it will take more time. I am also taking the pictures using film on a medium format, Hasselblad camera, so I won’t be developing the films until I come back,” Maurice outlined.
“Like everyone else, I think I can imagine what it will be like from the images I have seen to date but still I don’t know what to expect. We have all seen some photos but the reason I am going is because society is maybe over-infiltrated with images of children in a much sorrier state than we are used to seeing them. I am trying to find a different angle. I want to keep the brief open until I get there and talk to the people from there and the volunteers on the trip. I want the photos to come from a more personal reaction to the place, based on the experience I gather myself and the experiences of people who have worked or lived there,” he continued.
It is apt that Maurice’s work will take some time to come to fruition, as the BCP itself has worked in the region for 17 years and Brian acknowledges there is plenty left to do.
“This new project has come at a very exciting time as we continue our ongoing development work across Belarus. Maurice’s work will not only reflect the countless efforts of the BCP volunteers over the years but, importantly, will actively reflect the need for continued awareness and support in the lives of these people,” Brian said.
The projects undertaken by the charity are varied, ranging from a medical programme to a volunteer programme dedicated to care for orphaned children and adults.
The BCP medical programme established in Cherven children’s orphanage since 2009 provides a multi-disciplinary approach and reaches out to children most in need of interventions.
The programme brings volunteers from the areas of occupational therapy, physiotherapy, nursing and medicine to Belarus. This year, for the first time, among the volunteers will be an orthopaedic surgeon and lecturer. Aidan Devitt, from Ennistymon but based in Galway, works as a surgeon and lecturer. He will travel as a consultant surgeon.
“This is a very new aspect of what we are trying to do. Aidan will review each of the cases and finalise a shortlist for surgery. He will also build up links with the local doctors. We are trying to change people’s opinions about disability, breaking down the barriers and the stigma attached to people with disabilities in Belarus as felt by the Belarussians,” added Brian.