Anton Shebetko

In his works, Anton Shebetko addresses the issues faced by the LGBTQIA+ community in Ukraine, as well as the themes of memory, loss of identity, the plurality of history, and the role of photography and archives in their exploration. The project Dear Sons and Daughters of Ukraine analyzes the mechanisms for creating the images of national heroes and manipulating the facts of their biographies. The artist rethinks memorialization processes from the queer perspective, suggesting a new meaning for the symbols of past eras.

The work includes portraits of scientists, artists, and political figures printed white on white using the silkscreen printing technique. It emphasizes how the non-heteronormative aspects of their biographies and works are invisible and inconvenient for propaganda, demonstrating the complexity of their identities. A bronze sculpture of gay porn actor Billy Herrington refers to the 2022 petition to replace the statue of Catherine II in Odesa with his sculpture — an ironic nod to the homophobic sentiment in society. A series of photographs of Soviet homoerotic sculptures, partially covered by OSB panels, symbolizes the practice of concealing monuments and suggests an alternative way of looking at history.

The project is complemented by the library of research materials: biographies, diaries and tabloids. It invites the viewers to immerse themselves in the context, do their own research, and find their own answers.