Millennial Artist Making Her Place in History

20 July 2020

Until August 2, the Museum of Kyiv History is hosting an exhibition with the artwork of Anna Kostritska, an abstract expressionist giving a voice to her generation. Translated from Russian, the Exhibition is titled “Everything Changes, Nothing Disappears”.

For those unfamiliar with the term, the expressionist movement began in Germany in the beginning of the previous century and can be quintessentially represented by Edvard Munch’s The Scream. By nature, Expressionism views the world through the unique and characterizing lens of the artist. Now, it’s back in vogue and Kostritska’s work is characterized by clarity, vivid colours, sensuality and texture.

Through her paintings, Kostritska is seeking to capture the millennial experience. Her goal is to express the feelings, identify the angst and establish the position that belongs to her generation. She identifies her paintings with “hippolitism” – which is derived from the name Hippolytus, belonging both to the Greek mythological character and an early Christian theologian. Both narratives deal with an aversion to adultery and unjust death by wild horses. Perhaps Kostritska is speaking to the millennial struggle for real connection in a world of liberated yet potentially hollow sexuality? Perhaps she is identifying an oppressive sense of doom or lack of control haunting this generation? For Kostritska, what’s most important is stating the millennial position, which she claims, “stays in the shadows during the most active period of [her generation’s] lives.” The audience of the exhibit should be confronted with the truth, however disillusioning.

Everything Changes, Nothing Disappears