History of the prize

The PinchukArtCentre (Kyiv, Ukraine) presents an exhibition of the 20 artists shortlisted for the sixth edition PinchukArtCentre Prize, a nationwide prize for Ukrainian artists aged 35 or younger. Featuring new and recent works, the show brings together a representative selection of artists and artist collectives from all over Ukraine including artists living abroad.

The artistic approaches of the 20 nominees vary considerably, yet they reflect the vision and thinking of the post-Maidan generation of Ukrainian art. Many of the artists are united by an intensive reflection on social problems and a critical view of archaic power structures. Prominent themes include the value of labor in the post-industrial era, media manipulation that affects political actions both in Ukraine and around the globe, and a celebration of gender identities that stand opposed to physical brutality, which is still a driving force in social processes. Whereas direct activism has been a leading practice, we are starting to see its substitution with gestures that aim to transform the experience and functionality of common urban space.

The 20 nominees for the PinchukArtCentre Prize 2020 were shortlisted by an independent selection committee from more than 1100 applicants. The shortlist includes: AntiGonna (32, Kyiv), Katya Вuchatska (32, Kyiv), Uli Golub (29, Kharkiv/Wroclaw), Pavlo Grazhdanskij (28, Kharkiv), Ksenia Hnylytska (35, Kyiv), Alexandra Kadzevich (26, Odessa), Nikolay Karabinovych (30, Odessa/Ghent), Anton Karyuk (31, Kyiv), Oksana Kazmina (35, Kyiv), Iryna Kudrya (32, Kyiv), Larion Lozovoy (31, Kyiv), Timothy Maxymenko (24, Kyiv), Elias Parvulesco (34, Kyiv), Valentina Petrova (34, Prague/Kyiv), Anna Scherbyna (31, Zaporizhzhia/Kyiv), Alina Sokolova (23, Uzhhorod/Vienna), Dmytro Starusiev (34, Makiivka) and the groups: 12345678910 Studio (Obraztsov Evgeniy, 25, Dnipro/Kyiv; Omelich Anastasiya, 23, Dnipro/Kyiv; Momot Mikita, 24, Dnipro), Yarema Malashchuk (26, Kolomiya/Kyiv) and Roman Himey (27, Kolomiya/Kyiv), Daniil Revkovskiy (26, Kharkiv) and Andriy Rachinskiy (29, Kharkiv).

This exhibition of the PinchukArtCentre Prize 2020 is curated by junior curator Alexandra Tryanova and co-curated by the artistic director of the PinchukArtCentre Bjorn Geldhof.