On Saturday, May 30, 2015, the PinchukArtCentre will present “Borderline. Ukrainian Art 1985–2004”, a large scale group show of Ukrainian artists exploring development of the Ukrainian contemporary art from early 1980s till 2004 when the Orange Revolution had happened in the country.
In conjunction with the group project, a solo show “Mute” by Ukrainian artist Zinaїda Lihacheva will take place in the context of PAC-UA. The show presents 16 static video portraits of female volunteers at the Maidan protests.
“Borderline. Ukrainian Art 1985–2004” investigates driving forces of socially and politically engaged art starting from“pre-perestroika”time. It presents more than 40 major group works byprominent Ukrainian artists and art groups whose practice has been defined during and shortly after the collapse of the USSR.
The project includes works by Sergey Bratkov, Oksana Chepelyk, IllyaChichkan, Oleg Golosiy, Yuri Leiderman, Pavlo Makov, Masoch Fund, Boris Mikhailov, Natsprom, VladaRalko, Alexander Roitburd, Jury Rupin, Andriy Sagaidakovsky, ArsenSavadov, GeorgiySenchenko, Oleg Tistol, VasiliyTsagolov, and Leonid Voitsekhov.
The artists in the exhibition have played a leading role to define the position of art in a post-soviet society and searched for ways to confront their own history, regain artistic freedom and develop a critical artistic voice. Through their work they often reflected, mirrored or responded upon a society that had to re-invent itself through instability, ideological shifts and social changes.
Throughout the exhibition, three main themes are formulated:“Perestroika”, “search for identity” (both personal and national) and “the corruption of morals”. These themes are traced through the different artistic practices in Ukraine between 1985 and 2004. The exhibition attempts to formulate an alternative view, away from a division into traditionally defined formal schools, in search for shared artistic driving forces that reveal an engagement in, and reflection of a country in transition and a social flux.
The exhibition is curated by Bjorn Geldhof, Deputy Artistic Director of the PinchukArtCentre and co-curated by the art centre’s junior curatorTatiana Kochubinska.
The solo exhibition by Ukrainian artist Zinaїda Lihacheva entitled “Mute” will be presented on the 4th floor of the art centre in the PAC-UA, art space dedicated to newly produced works of Ukrainian artists, aiming to research ongoing artistic processes within the country.
The show presents portraits of female volunteers at the Maidan protests. The installation contains 16 video portraits, shown simultaneously in the space. Together they form a crowd but through the condensed and restrained structure the focus of the installation goes to 16 individual women and their unspoken stories. Through this work Lihacheva rephrases an understanding of heroism. It gives attention to the role of women during this conflict, revealing them as everyday heroes and by extension the work can be seen as homage to every single woman who took part in the protests. The preparation of the work came through a deep research into concerns of each on these individuals and a commitment to interact and engage with them. Within the installation, Lihacheva does not verbalise those concerns, creating silent portraits that speak through the faces and postures of each and every women.
Alongside the video portraits, artist presents an installation holding artefacts coming from each of the portrayed women.
Together with the exhibition Lihacheva launched a Facebook-page giving voice to the stories and individual narrative.
The exhibitions are open from May 30 till October 4, 2015 in the PinchukArtCentre, Kyiv, Ukraine.
Opening hours: from Tuesday through Sunday from 12:00 to 21:00.
Admission is free.
