Oleksandr Shevchuk was born in 1960, in Odesa. Lived and worked in Odesa. He is known as the author of objects and installations and aesthetic and symbolic photography. Also he is a documentarist who created a large photo archive of Odesa artistic life. The artist’s works are kept in the collection of the Museum of Odesa Modern Art.
From the first seconds of the demonstration of Oleksandr Shevchuk’s video “Caress me, my love”, we see a photo of a naked woman in the foreground, occupying half of the screen. There is a half-ruined city behind. She is kneeling and pressing herself to the ground, trying to be small and invisible.
Above, from the right to the left, planes fly in the air raid. They dive and drop bombs on burning houses and a naked woman. The roar of bomber engines and loud explosions are heard. The remains of some houses are crumbling. There are Nazi crosses on airplanes.
Quiet dynamic modern music is playing.
On the woman, for the entire length of the frame, an inscription appears in capital letters – Caress me, my love.

And after a few seconds, the planes and bombs begin to retreat and fly back, as if they are afraid to touch the woman. The buildings stop burning, the ruins of buildings return to their places. There is no doubt that this happened in response to a request, a woman’s appeal to her lover.

The author is sure that the strongest weapon is not war, but love. It is so powerful that planes and bombs retreat. This is Oleksandr Shevchuk’s only video. The content and main ideas of the author are in general line with his work and his personality. He was close to the humanistic ideas of the hippies. Pacifism and lyrical mysticism are typical for his photographs and installations. The video, like Shevchuk’s other works, makes us think that the true greatness of human nature is not in weapons or war, but in the ability to love. Love surpasses any aggression, because it is able to change even the harshest realities. The author said that this work was a reaction to the events of the Yugoslav war. But the name of the country does not matter. In a world where violence reigns, this message becomes especially important for everyone. Only love can silence the guns and give us hope for a peaceful and harmonious future.