Art (May – June)
The streets are a riot of colour at this time of year, and the art world is also getting in on the act. For the third year running, Kyiv Art Week is going to be adding their own tones. Thirteen art galleries and museums all across the city will host special projects, while the main location of the festival – the Toronto-Kyiv, will hold a large-scale five-day art fair with lectures, cinema shows, and a children’s programme alongside. What’s On chooses three must-visit events for you.
The central and truly sensational event is the presentation of a segment of the restored Memory Wall from Baykove cemetery – sounds unusual, right? The Memory Wall was part of a memorial complex at Baykove cemetery. It took 13 years for its creators Ada Rybachuk and Volodymyr Melnychenko to create the art-piece – a 213-metre long wall with high reliefs depicting images of love, blooming gardens, motherhood, spring, and so on. In 1982, the communist party balked at the work, so it was covered with concrete, which is how it remained for the next 30 years. “We finally got permission from the Kyiv administration and some funding to start the restoration,” Yevhen Bereznytsky, curator of the festival says. “The process involves punch hammers and other heavy machinery working, but on 18 May we plan to present a 5-square-metre segment of the reliefs. To restore the whole 100-square-metre artwork we are launching a massive crowd-funding campaign as the wall is a uniqe historical monument.”
You probably know the most artistic and free republic of the world, Uzhupis. Well, this spring, their Minister of Foreign Affairs Thomas Chepaitis will visit Kyiv, bringing an art project and giving a speech on freedom and responsibility in art. “Many artists are gifted with talent, and here their responsibility begins,” Chepaitus says. “The balance between freedom and responsibility in the Uzhupis Republic comes from everyday community living, mutual projects, and friendship. Ukrainian artists are dramatically optimistic. I like the simplicity and folk roots in Ukrainian art, the humour, and the spirit of courage. These days are a great time in Ukrainian history – both my great grandmother and great grandfather are Ukrainians and it is to them I will dedicate my speech at Kyiv Art Week.” Put a mark in your schedule for 23 May at 18.00 (Toronto-Kyiv complex).
If by any chance you missed the visit of Marina Abramovic to Kyiv last year, you can’t miss the presentation of her memoirs Walk Through Walls”! Picture this, Abromovic is sitting and holding her finger over the flame of a candle – this photo of one of her numerous performances was chosen for the cover of the book and the publishers say it is key to understanding the very essence of her art. Be sure to be there on 25 May at 18.00 (Toronto-Kyiv complex).
Kyiv Art Week
18-27 May
Toronto-Kyiv complex (V Vasylkivska 100)
kyivartweek.com/program
At the Bright Sunshine
Exhibition of paintings by Yuriy Yehorov
20 April – 27 May
National Art Museum (Hrushevskoho 6)
10-40 UAH
namu.kiev.ua
Noble Families and Taras Shevchenko
Exhibition of art works by Taras Shevchenko
22 March – 25 May
Taras Shevchenko National Museum (Shevchenko Blvd 12)
museumshevchenko.org.ua
Connection
Exhibition of art works by Olena Naumenko
24 April – 26 May
Shcherbenko Art Centre (Mykhaylivska 22v)
Free
shcherbenkoartcentre.com
Time Crater
Exhibition of art works by Ukrainian artists
19 May – 2 June
Institute of Problems of Modern Art (Konovaltsya 18D)
Free
www.mari.kiev.ua
Cinder
Exhibition of paintings by Petro Smetana
21 May – 4 June
Tryptykh Art Gallery (Desyatyna 13)
triptych-art.com
Dreams of Atlantida
Exhibition of works by Valeriya Trubina
25 May – 8 June
Ra Gallery (B Khmelnytskoho 32)
ragallery.net
