Living Room #11 - Witnessing Ukraine

On March 31, the ICP Living Room hosted a powerful and timely virtual conversation featuring photographers and ICP alumni Chris Occhicone, Iva Sidash, Ira Lupu, and Sasha Maslov, moderated by Fred Ritchin.

The event explored the evolving role of photography during times of war, focusing on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Speakers reflected on how images inform, move, and sometimes fall short in capturing the realities of conflict—especially one unfolding simultaneously on the ground and across digital landscapes.

Together, the panel delved into urgent questions around bearing witness, ethical storytelling, and the tension between authorship and care when documenting violence, resistance, and survival. The discussion served as both a reflection and a call to action, underscoring photography’s potential to shape collective memory and deepen human connection in times of crisis.

About Our Speakers

Chris Occhicone (Doc ‘14)
Based in Kyiv, Chris has covered Ukraine's war since 2014. A contributor to Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic, his long-term project investigates human rights violations in Ukraine’s orphanage system.

Iva Sidash (Doc ‘24)
An independent Ukrainian photographer and visual storyteller, Iva captures the human stories behind war’s impact. She studied Documentary Practices at ICP and focuses on artful documentary narratives of resilience and memory.

Ira Lupu (NMN ‘20)
A photographer and curator based between Ukraine and NYC, Ira’s work spans international exhibitions and publications including The New York Times and Vogue. She is part of Women Photograph and Diversify.Photo, and engages with issues of identity, trauma, and social justice.

Sasha Maslov
A Ukrainian-American portrait and documentary photographer contributing to leading publications across the U.S. and Europe. Sasha splits his time between Kyiv and New York, pursuing long-term documentary projects.

Fred Ritchin
Dean Emeritus of ICP and former NYT Magazine editor, Fred is a pioneer in documentary photography and multimedia. He has authored several influential books on photojournalism and continues to lead conversations on ethics and innovation in visual storytelling.