STALKER is a first person shooter and horror survival videogame series developed by Ukrainian company GSC Game World. There are three games thus far: Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat. Development of "Stalker 2" was cancelled in 2012. The game generally has good ratings like 8.2 and 8.5 out of 10 by IGN and Game Spot, respectively. 

The town of Pripyat has been featured many times in this popular videogame series.

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Pripyat can be explored on the multiplayer map "Fallen."

Then in Call of Duty: Black Ops, it is the location of the map called "Grid."

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 features this location in a special ops mission.

For Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, it is the location of two levels in the campaign but can also be accessed in multiplayer on the "Bloc" map. Pripyat can also be seen in the distance when playing on the "Shipment" and "Vacant" maps.

There are several tour agencies which offer guided trips into the exclusion zone, if one is feeling adventerous. The trend of "extreme tourism" has been on the uprise, and the zone has much to offer. Since 2011, the Ukrainian government deemed the radiation levels safe enough to offer guided tours. Touring this area is a once-in a lifetime opportunity that should definitely be seized if possible, as the infrastructure is decaying at a rapid rate.

Chornobyl Tour offers single-day tours, or anywhere up to week-long tours. Starting at $88, an individual can go on a single-day tour. However, there is so much to see in the exclusion zone that it would be more worthwhile for some people to book a several-day tour. Explore: https://chernobyl-tour.com/english/

Solo East Travel is another renown company. They offer a variety of tours at good prices. For a private single-day tour for four people, it costs $160 per person. This is a much better deal than Chornobyl Tour which charges $186.50 for the same package. Explore: https://www.tourkiev.com/

This interactive documentary will be fully released in December 2016 or Spring 2017. The developers have already released a portion of the application onto the Google Play store where it currently has an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars and nearly 5,000 downloads. This non-profit project is intended provide users with a unique experience: immersing oneself into the exclusion zone and learning through interactive means without having to leave the comfort of home. It takes the user through various points of interest in the zone such as abandoned villages, nuclear waste storage facilities, the graveyard where radioactive equipment eternally rests. In each of these areas, one can interact with their surroundings in different ways.

See the trailer: https://youtu.be/li6wRd4J5HM

Unknown artists have left eerie portraits alluding to the city that had once been vibrant and vivacious. The graffiti contrasts the dismal and deserted landscape by illustrating life and emotion.

There is a lot of subjectivity to art; thus, I believe that each encounter and experience with it is relative to the individual. This part of the collection, for me, evoked feelings that I assume the artist(s) aimed to bring up. I was hit with nostalgia, despite never having set foot into the zone. I felt sorrow, imagining the children who once happily played in the streets, which are now overgrown. A sense of uneasiness overtook me, as I imagined the murals as portraits of those who may or may not still be alive after the accident. Last, I feel sorrow for those whose lives were uprooted so quickly and permanently.

Upon viewing each of these creations, single words immediately came to mind. Although the art is not mine, for the purpose of this exhibit I decided to title each of these as what felt right. In order of appearance:

1. "Bubbles"

2. "Crawl"

3. "Dance"

4. "Fear"

5. "Hiding"

6. "Pigtails"

7. "Resting"

8. "Scream"

9. "Silly"

10. "Ascent"