Saturday marked the grand opening of Project 4, a new art gallery on U Street. The site promises to showcase a wide variety of media and artist’s visions by opening the venue to guest curators, rather than following the lead of a single gallerist.

Like most D.C. galleries, the space is quite small, but Project 4 has worked smartly with what they have. The gallery has two levels in a loft-like presentation, so that the upper level only occupies the back two-thirds of the site. This allows the wall space in the front third to extend up both stories, so large pieces can be hung, and gives viewers on the second floor a patio view of the lower level (which could come in handy for the alternative types of work Project 4 plans on bringing in, like musical events). My only advice – get there early if you attend an opening, or risk getting your toes smashed and wine spilled on your expensive camera.

Lori Grinker’s exhibit, Afterwar: Veterans From A World in Conflict, seemed like a somber choice for the kick-off show, but her photographs were powerful enough to hold the attention of the massive crowd that descended upon the opening reception. Grinker, an internationally renowned photographer, takes this collection from 15 years of travel to nations in conflict – Israel, El Salvador, Russia, and so on. Her photos seek out the leftovers, what she can find in a person’s eyes after the guns stop firing.