I Am a Drop in the Ocean
dal 30/7/2014 al 18/10/2014
Segnalato da
Maksim Belousov
Alexander Chekmenev
Maria Dragina
Ksenia Hnylytska
Boris Kashapov
Pavlo Kerestey
Vladislav Krasnoshek
Sasha Kurmaz
Sergei Lebedinsky
Markiyan Matsehk
Roman Minin
Maria Pavlenko
Oleksiy Radynski
Vlada Ralko
Vinny Reunov
Ivan Semesyuk
Nikita Shalennyi
Mykola Ridnyi
Oleg Tistol
Vasilii Tsagolov
Civil Sector of Maidan
Konstantin Akinsha
Alisa Lozhkina
Agnieszka Chyrowicz
30/7/2014
I Am a Drop in the Ocean
MOCAK - Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow, Krakow
The Art of the Ukrainian Revolution. The photographs and paintings presented provide a critical commentary to the social and political situation, whereas video works, documenting performance actions, demonstrate the context in which specific works were created.
On 21 November 2013, the protests began on the Maidan, Independence Square, in Kiev. They were the response to Victor Yanukovych failing to sign a Ukrainian association agreement with the European Union. The intransigence of the ruling party and the brutality of the militia acting on orders from the authorities led to the radicalisation of the prevailing mood. The protest, originally envisaged as a manifestation of support for the European option for Ukraine turned into opposition to the internal policies and corruption. Finally, the Maidan demanded that the President step down.
At all times, art accompanied the protests; it was a sphere of freedom, an expression of resistance to Russian influence in the corrupt state. Artists created their works at the Maidan, exhibited them there, designed posters and organised performances.
The title of the exhibition refers to one of the slogans of the Ukrainian revolution. Its message is that no single person is enough to change the system; however, a determined collaboration of individuals guarantees an effective impact on the course of events. The photographs and paintings presented at the exhibition provide a critical commentary to the social and political situation in Ukraine, whereas video works and banners, documenting performance actions, demonstrate the context in which specific works were created. The artists take a negative view of the government's actions and bemoan the situation where Ukrainians are egged on to fratricide and show an analogy between today's political reality and the civil war of 1918–1921.
The exhibition was previously shown at the Künstlerhaus in Vienna and in November it will be taken to New York.
Artists: Maksim Belousov, Alexander Chekmenev, Maria Dragina, Ksenia Hnylytska, Boris Kashapov, Pavlo Kerestey, Vladislav Krasnoshek, Sasha Kurmaz, Sergei Lebedinsky, Markiyan Matsehk, Roman Minin, Maria Pavlenko, Oleksiy Radynski, Vlada Ralko, Vinny Reunov, Ivan Semesyuk, Nikita Shalennyi, Mykola Ridnyi, Oleg Tistol, Vasilii Tsagolov.
Curators: Konstantin Akinsha, Alisa Lozhkina
Co-ordinator: Agnieszka Chyrowicz
Exhibition Partner: Culture.pl
Image: a performance by Markiyan Matsekh and Oleg Matsekh, 2013, photographic documentation, courtesy of Mystetskyi Arsenal
Press contact:
Justyna Kuska +48 12 2634055 kuska@mocak.pl
Opening: 31 July 2014 at 6 pm
MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow
ul. Lipowa 4 30-702 Krakow Poland
Opening hours:
Tue-Sun 11 am- 7 pm
Tickets:
Normal 10 PLN
Discounts 5 PLN
FREE for Children under 7 and Persons aged 70 and over