{"id":1848887,"date":"2026-03-26T17:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T14:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1848887"},"modified":"2026-03-26T17:40:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T14:40:00","slug":"this-photo-series-depicts-youth-culture-in-summer-along-the-danube","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1848887","title":{"rendered":"This photo series depicts youth culture in summer along the Danube"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442561.jpeg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/art-photography\/article\/69989\/1\/guillaume-bihan-daria-vertilova-photography-danube-portraits-youth-culture\" data-article-id=\"69989\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.31\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2289\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442561.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Guillaume Bihan and <span class=\"nowrap\">Daria Svertilova<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-03-26T17:40:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"26 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"26\">26,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - art-photography\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\">Art &amp; Photography<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lightbox\">Lightbox<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\">Art &amp; Photography<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lightbox\">Lightbox<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>This photo series depicts youth culture in summer along <span class=\"nowrap\">the Danube<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>Tracing the major river through Europe in summertime, photography duo Guillaume Bihan and Daria Svertilova took portraits of young people along the <span class=\"nowrap\">river banks<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-26T17:40:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"26 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"26\">26,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-26T17:40:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"26 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"26\">26,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/sarahmoroz\">Sarah Moroz<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-11-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Of Streams and Lighthouses, and <span class=\"nowrap\">In Between<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36893\/0\/of-streams-and-lighthouses-and-in-between\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"1997\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-336-2996-1997\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442557.jpeg\" width=\"2996\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36893\/1\/of-streams-and-lighthouses-and-in-between\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442556.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36893\/2\/of-streams-and-lighthouses-and-in-between\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442561.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36893\/3\/of-streams-and-lighthouses-and-in-between\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-78-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442560.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36893\/4\/of-streams-and-lighthouses-and-in-between\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442562.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36893\/5\/of-streams-and-lighthouses-and-in-between\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442564.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 11 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Is it possible to truly empathise with someone from a war-torn country if you haven&#8217;t shared that experience yourself? French-born <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/guillaume_bihan\/\"><span>Guillaume Bihan<\/span><\/a><span> wondered this when he and\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/svertilova\/\"><span>Daria Svertilova<\/span><\/a>, from Ukraine,<span> began sharing a Paris flat in February 2022, just as Russia launched its full-scale invasion. They barely had furniture, and Svertilova had just left her boyfriend.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>On a macro level, the war has rocked geopolitics. But it has impacted individuals on a micro level, too. <\/span><span>Bihan and Svertilova met while at a photography course at \u00c9cole Nationale Sup\u00e9rieure des Arts D\u00e9coratifs in Paris. As flatmates, they discussed the chilling situation in Ukraine, but Bihan felt he could not truly share <\/span><span>Svertilova\u2019s anxiety and grief as a native citizen of Odesa. <\/span><span>With this in mind, in 2025 the duo decided to embark on a journey together, using the Danube \u2013 a major river connecting ten European countries \u2013 as a geographical thread. Once a frontier of the Roman Empire, the Danube flows from the Black Forest of Germany south through the Danube Delta in Romania and into the Black Sea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Having been awarded a contemporary documentary photography grant, they set out in a van with no fixed timeline. Their photographic touchstones for the project were Justine Kurland and Jeff Wall, citing their ability to create \u201creally well-composed\u201d photos that felt like documentary, even though they were staged.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"b3b28a73-6de8-4746-8c70-b41900d300d2\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442565.jpeg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.26\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2374\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442565.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Guillaume Bihan and <span class=\"nowrap\">Daria Svertilova<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>They started from Donaueschingen in Germany and went to Passau, Linz, Vienna, Bratislava, Dalj, Novi Sad, Cetate, Tulcea, Izmail, and Sulina \u2013 among other places. The trip lasted from June to August, wrapping up when the weather got cold and people would no longer hang out near the river (and their grant money ran out). They pinned places on their map to see what was accessible by car, but otherwise, decided to pursue a more spontaneous approach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Using Instagram, they searched hashtags in each city to see if they could unearth interesting people, but this ultimately proved unhelpful. Svertilova says they approached the project as \u201cforeigners\u201d: \u201cwe didn\u2019t speak the language of the country and didn\u2019t do a lot of research. But I understood that even if you do research about a place, when you arrive, it\u2019s different \u2013 every time.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"1f128539-5edc-4d90-a0db-b41900d304b3\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442566.jpeg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.8\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442566.jpeg\" width=\"2412\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Guillaume Bihan and <span class=\"nowrap\">Daria Svertilova<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Until this project, Svertilova had never done street casting; her documentary practice had always involved working with friends, friends of friends, or people she has explicitly reached out to on Instagram (in addition to her commissioned work for newspapers like <\/span><em><span>Lib\u00e9ration<\/span><\/em><span>). \u201c[At first] I tried to contact people I knew and find some people through them,\u201d she said, but this failed to get them the results they\u2019d hoped for. <\/span><span>Eventually, they figured out how to engage with strangers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>They were looking for people hanging out by the river, with no fixed criteria beyond youth and good energy, choosing who to approach based on their behaviour and how they dressed.\u00a0<\/span><span>Sometimes, those they were intrigued by were sizing them up as well \u2013 the creative duo stood out with their analogue cameras and tripods, and these accessories helped them to strike up conversations.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"a6e77a18-7d2d-4760-afbc-b41900d2ea64\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442559.jpeg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.33\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2262\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442559.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Guillaume Bihan and <span class=\"nowrap\">Daria Svertilova<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>They often worked fast, due to the fast pace of their young subjects and dimming natural light \u2013 they scouted from late afternoon to evening, because that was when teenagers materialised. Some wanted to \u201csee\u201d the images, not grasping that they weren\u2019t digital. The photographers used long exposure times in the dusky settings, and developed contact sheets along the way to review their work. Their final edit was formed in back in Paris, where they made their prints.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The journey provided a range of experiences. \u201cBratislava [Slovakia] was really generous,\u201d Svertilova says. A lot of people they encountered spoke English, and there were many young artists. In Vukovar [Croatia], they saw traces of bullets on the facades of buildings. In Serbia, they happened upon student protests and unrest on campuses. Many people they encountered came from disadvantaged backgrounds and experienced the brunt of unspoken \u2013 or spoken \u2013 hierarchies between nations and countries. In Ulm, in southwestern Germany, they met young weed dealers who had already run into trouble with the law.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In light of all this, the images reflect latent \u201ctension, violence, intimacy\u201d, said Svertilova. The war in Ukraine was felt as a storm on the horizon. More and more people expressed discomfort and fear the closer they got to Svertilova\u2019s home country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Although the expedition is over now, Bihan wants to invite local photographers to collaborate and establish a \u201cthink tank\u201d focused on understanding the state of Europe through the lens of art. \u201cThe continent is in a critical state,\u201d he said, which makes critical the importance of projects that \u201cfight against fascism with the idea of community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69949\/1\/marina-abramovic-seven-deaths-maria-callas-opera-cisternerne-copenhagen\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Marina Abramovi\u0107, Seven Deaths\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-2536-1687\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442073.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Marina Abramovi\u0107 hopes this exhibition will heal your broken heart<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69934\/1\/alexander-elkholm-exhalation-queer-photography-exhibition-london\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\" Alexander Ekholm, Exhalation\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-2042-1358\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442014.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">These sensual images capture queer London up close<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69929\/1\/domino-leaha-photos-unfulfilled-decade-of-intimacy-lovers-book-interview\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Domino Leaha, Unfulfilled\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-564-2005-1333\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441657.JPG\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Domino Leaha\u2019s photos document a decade of intimacy<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-11-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Of Streams and Lighthouses, and <span class=\"nowrap\">In Between<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36893\/0\/of-streams-and-lighthouses-and-in-between\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"1997\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-336-2996-1997\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442557.jpeg\" width=\"2996\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36893\/1\/of-streams-and-lighthouses-and-in-between\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442556.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36893\/2\/of-streams-and-lighthouses-and-in-between\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442561.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36893\/3\/of-streams-and-lighthouses-and-in-between\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-78-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442560.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36893\/4\/of-streams-and-lighthouses-and-in-between\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442562.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36893\/5\/of-streams-and-lighthouses-and-in-between\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442564.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 11 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Is it possible to truly empathise with someone from a war-torn country if you haven&#8217;t shared that experience yourself? French-born <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/guillaume_bihan\/\"><span>Guillaume Bihan<\/span><\/a><span> wondered this when he and\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/svertilova\/\"><span>Daria Svertilova<\/span><\/a>, from Ukraine,<span> began sharing a Paris flat in February 2022, just as Russia launched its full-scale invasion. They barely had furniture, and Svertilova had just left her boyfriend.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>On a macro level, the war has rocked geopolitics. But it has impacted individuals on a micro level, too. <\/span><span>Bihan and Svertilova met while at a photography course at \u00c9cole Nationale Sup\u00e9rieure des Arts D\u00e9coratifs in Paris. As flatmates, they discussed the chilling situation in Ukraine, but Bihan felt he could not truly share <\/span><span>Svertilova\u2019s anxiety and grief as a native citizen of Odesa. <\/span><span>With this in mind, in 2025 the duo decided to embark on a journey together, using the Danube \u2013 a major river connecting ten European countries \u2013 as a geographical thread. Once a frontier of the Roman Empire, the Danube flows from the Black Forest of Germany south through the Danube Delta in Romania and into the Black Sea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Having been awarded a contemporary documentary photography grant, they set out in a van with no fixed timeline. Their photographic touchstones for the project were Justine Kurland and Jeff Wall, citing their ability to create \u201creally well-composed\u201d photos that felt like documentary, even though they were staged.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"b3b28a73-6de8-4746-8c70-b41900d300d2\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442565.jpeg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.26\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2374\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442565.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Guillaume Bihan and <span class=\"nowrap\">Daria Svertilova<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>They started from Donaueschingen in Germany and went to Passau, Linz, Vienna, Bratislava, Dalj, Novi Sad, Cetate, Tulcea, Izmail, and Sulina \u2013 among other places. The trip lasted from June to August, wrapping up when the weather got cold and people would no longer hang out near the river (and their grant money ran out). They pinned places on their map to see what was accessible by car, but otherwise, decided to pursue a more spontaneous approach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Using Instagram, they searched hashtags in each city to see if they could unearth interesting people, but this ultimately proved unhelpful. Svertilova says they approached the project as \u201cforeigners\u201d: \u201cwe didn\u2019t speak the language of the country and didn\u2019t do a lot of research. But I understood that even if you do research about a place, when you arrive, it\u2019s different \u2013 every time.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"1f128539-5edc-4d90-a0db-b41900d304b3\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442566.jpeg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.8\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442566.jpeg\" width=\"2412\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Guillaume Bihan and <span class=\"nowrap\">Daria Svertilova<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Until this project, Svertilova had never done street casting; her documentary practice had always involved working with friends, friends of friends, or people she has explicitly reached out to on Instagram (in addition to her commissioned work for newspapers like <\/span><em><span>Lib\u00e9ration<\/span><\/em><span>). \u201c[At first] I tried to contact people I knew and find some people through them,\u201d she said, but this failed to get them the results they\u2019d hoped for. <\/span><span>Eventually, they figured out how to engage with strangers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>They were looking for people hanging out by the river, with no fixed criteria beyond youth and good energy, choosing who to approach based on their behaviour and how they dressed.\u00a0<\/span><span>Sometimes, those they were intrigued by were sizing them up as well \u2013 the creative duo stood out with their analogue cameras and tripods, and these accessories helped them to strike up conversations.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"a6e77a18-7d2d-4760-afbc-b41900d2ea64\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442559.jpeg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.33\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Of Streams and Lighthouses, and In Between\" class=\"img\" height=\"2262\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442559.jpeg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Guillaume Bihan and <span class=\"nowrap\">Daria Svertilova<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>They often worked fast, due to the fast pace of their young subjects and dimming natural light \u2013 they scouted from late afternoon to evening, because that was when teenagers materialised. Some wanted to \u201csee\u201d the images, not grasping that they weren\u2019t digital. The photographers used long exposure times in the dusky settings, and developed contact sheets along the way to review their work. Their final edit was formed in back in Paris, where they made their prints.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The journey provided a range of experiences. \u201cBratislava [Slovakia] was really generous,\u201d Svertilova says. A lot of people they encountered spoke English, and there were many young artists. In Vukovar [Croatia], they saw traces of bullets on the facades of buildings. In Serbia, they happened upon student protests and unrest on campuses. Many people they encountered came from disadvantaged backgrounds and experienced the brunt of unspoken \u2013 or spoken \u2013 hierarchies between nations and countries. In Ulm, in southwestern Germany, they met young weed dealers who had already run into trouble with the law.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In light of all this, the images reflect latent \u201ctension, violence, intimacy\u201d, said Svertilova. The war in Ukraine was felt as a storm on the horizon. More and more people expressed discomfort and fear the closer they got to Svertilova\u2019s home country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Although the expedition is over now, Bihan wants to invite local photographers to collaborate and establish a \u201cthink tank\u201d focused on understanding the state of Europe through the lens of art. \u201cThe continent is in a critical state,\u201d he said, which makes critical the importance of projects that \u201cfight against fascism with the idea of community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69989\/1\/guillaume-bihan-daria-vertilova-photography-danube-portraits-youth-culture&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442561.jpeg&#8221;] Photography Guillaume Bihan and Daria Svertilova March\u00a0 26,\u00a0 2026 Art &amp; Photography \/ Lightbox Art &amp; Photography \/ Lightbox This photo series depicts youth culture in summer along the Danube Tracing the major river through Europe in summertime, photography duo Guillaume Bihan and Daria Svertilova took portraits of young people along the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1848887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1848887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1848887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1848887\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1848887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1848887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1848887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}