![](https://birdinflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/laptii_lilies-1-1290x690-64a.jpg)
Flowers Against Rockets
![](https://birdinflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Evhenia_Laptiy_author_200x200_acf_cropped-150x150.jpg)
Ukrainian photographer. Born in Kharkiv. Studied at the Kharkiv Academy of Design and Arts. Has participated in group and solo exhibitions in Germany, Italy, Portugal, Ukraine, and elsewhere.
— When I was living under occupation in a village in Kharkiv region, there was a time when we were heavily shelled and our entire courtyard was in ruins. But I never actually saw the shells myself because I was in shock, and I immediately went to talk to my relatives about leaving.
I conceived this project right after I emerged from the occupation. It seemed like I had lost my home forever. The idea of a utopian nonexistent garden came to me as an analogy to the loss of the biblical Eden. Later, the village was liberated, but when I returned there, I saw the indescribable horror. That’s why I wanted to somehow show people in Europe what it means to lose a home.
I took the photograph in my own garden in December 2022 when I came back home. There were five craters from shells left in our courtyard. And on one of those spots, lilies were growing.
![](https://birdinflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/laptii_lilies-14.jpg)
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Currently, I am temporarily living in Austria, where there is strong support for the artistic community. I visualized the project and submitted it to the office of an organization. After some time, I received a response that the kunstGarten gallery in Graz wants to realize this project. They have their own garden, so we planted lilies there.
The rocket for the installation was made on-site using metal, reconstructing it from my photographs. Initially, I wanted to bring a shell from Ukraine, but the Austrian Ministry of Culture did not permit it. Since the project is long-term, I hope that over time, rust will completely “eat away” the rocket, and only the lilies will remain—they will grow there for many years.
Initially, I wanted to bring a shell from Ukraine, but the Austrian Ministry of Culture did not permit it.
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