Sunflowers Will Still Grow
Concept: Sunflowers Will Still Grow is a multimedia art project to document the stories of Ukrainian refugees who fled to Gummersbach, Germany, after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The project aims to preserve cultural stories and serve as important visual evidence in the history of human culture and migration.
The title is inspired by the viral video of a Ukrainian woman offering sunflower seeds to Russian soldiers so 'sunflowers grow when they die.'
It is important to document this time to understand how Ukrainian people lived through Europe's worst refugee crisis since WWII. The project depicts loss and longing, but also the resilience of Ukrainians in navigating this strange and difficult time.
Process: When the Russo-Ukrainian war started, a senior care home in the small German district of Bernberg in Gummersbach was converted overnight into a refugee home after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Saurabh’s first thought was to cover the war, but instead, he decided to make portraits of his new neighbours, whom he started to meet in playgrounds, cafes, and later in the senior home. From waking up to the sounds of gunfire to hiding in bomb shelters, they all have a story of their own before finally finding safe havens in Germany.
He soon collaborated with a Ukrainian writer, Anastasiia. Together, they visit families and conduct interviews in their neighbourhood. They simply sit and listen to the stories of Ukrainians focused on their culture and integration. Sometimes with and sometimes without the camera!
Team: Anastasiia Reshetnyk (b. 2004, Kyiv) is a Ukrainian refugee who fled to Gummersbach, Germany. She is studying journalism and is leading the writing part of this project.
Saurabh Narang (b. 1986, Delhi) is an award-winning Indian visual storyteller based in Gummersbach, Germany. He started the project and is leading the visual part of it.
Video Portraits > Interviews
Selected Recognitions...
Awards, exhibitions and features:
- Sunflowers Will Still Grow at Indian Photo Festival 2023, Hyderabad, India (solo exhibition)
- Awarded MANUFACTUM STAATSPREIS NRW 2023 in IMAGE + PRINT MEDIA category
- Exhibition in MAKK, Museum for Applied Arts in Cologne, Germany from 27.05 to 13.08
- Exhibited at the Film 2023 by LCB Depot in Leicester, United Kingdom as part of the FORMAT International Photography Festival
- Featured by India's national newspaper, The Hindu | The New Indian Express
- Featured by the European Parliament as an ambassador for their European Youth Even 2023
- Featured by the UNESCO's International Day of Light
- Featured by Fotografiska