Contrapunct exhibition at the Kunstlerhaus

9.11.22 — 27.11.22.

Artists

Galyna Andrusenko, Gera Artemova, Julia Beliaeva, Mykola Bilous, Olia Fedorova, Maria Kulikovska, Kateryna Lysovenko, Yarema Malashchuk und Roman Himey, Daryna Mykytiuk, Daniil Nemyrovskyi, Ievgen Petrov, Katherine Reznichenko, Sana Shahmuradova, Olga Stein

Gera Artemova, Melanka, 2020

Behind the roar of explosions and sirens, amid terrible loss, anxiety, and insomnia, everyday life goes on, but in a way that cannot be called routine. Seasons change, people’s eyes change, now hiding pain forever. This is united in a symphony of the era, with controversies and counterpoints absorbed into one. It is not without reason that we have named this exhibition of young Ukrainian artists CONTRAPUNCT.

Upheaval and memories of the peaceful past, the suffering that is now and the highly unpredictable future all coexist.

CONTRPAUNCT is a profound metaphor that has migrated from the musical domain to other spheres of life and art. It is increasingly used as a symbol of dissonant sound, of simultaneous contrasts, of the polyphony and harmony of our lives. Literature, media, cinema, and social networks periodically present the concept of counterpoint as being opposition and contradiction in the same plot.

We have several multi-genre stories created by artists with aesthetics that capture such moments. These installations, sculptures, video chronicles, photographs, and paintings not only present each author’s personal life experiences, but also show a uniqueness of style and mannerisms that can verge on the outrageous, but is always sincere and goes beyond stereotypes and standards. At the same time, the artists themselves are clearly aware of the stereotypes of past generations, ridiculing and exposing them.

A vivid example of this can be seen in the works of Gera Artemova. Photos of a Saint Melania procession in the Carpathians reveal the contrast of a living human face and the frozen expressions of carnival masks that have been part of mythological rites since ancient times.

Kyiv artists and directors Yarema Malashchuk and Roman Himey present an original mix of fine art and cinema. In particular, a video chronicle focuses on female faces at the disco, showing a sublime, spiritual mood counterbalanced by alienation and longing to escape the banality of everyday life.

The counterpoints in Julia Beliaeva’s works are preserved in hues of white porcelain. One of the pieces shows us a large-scale Ferris wheel, expressed gracefully and in detail, immediately reminiscent of childhood entertainment. Upon closer observations, we understand that these are the remains of an attraction in Pripyat Park, that this wheel will never move again, and children’s voices will never again fill the space. The 1986 Chernobyl tragedy is a man-made catastrophe that evokes direct associations with the tragedies of war today: destroyed cities, parks, thousands dead, the real threat of a new nuclear disaster.

Ievgen Petrov paradoxically combines the heaviness of stone and the fluidity of female forms in his sculptures. Clarifying that the material was taken from the Odesa coast evokes nostalgia for the city near the blue sea beloved by many. We believe that Odesa will endure, that its inviting shores will soon return to peace and beauty, cleanliness and safety. Maria Kulikovska clearly dreams of true freedom of movement around the planet, vividly painting the documents of migration services, while Sana Shahmuradova creates an altar to motherhood, believing it to be the most sacred thing in the world.

Turning to the work of Olia Fedorova, one understands that image and text are equally important to her work. Fedorova describes how people are being bombed and shelled, day after day and night after night, living in the few apartments and basements still left. Normal human needs are contrasted by the inhuman efforts of the enemy to destroy everything living and non-living. The artist is uniquely adept at conveying feelings of shock.

Katherine Reznichenko’s pieces are based on images seen in the news and reflect on scenes of evacuation and moments from Azovstal. She uses the classic technique of oil on canvas.

The visual component in Olga Stein’s works always appears in conjunction with a concrete story, an answer to the question “why am I doing this?” Before the war, this was how the artist was searching for her own identity. Hence her fascination with self-portraits and corporeality.

Self-portraits are also a source of inspiration for Daryna Mykytiuk. She brings individual features to the level of generalization, creating the same drawing in different colour palettes. Her general field is pop art, with an emphasis on colour. As she says, “Colour is not the subject of my study, it is the subject of my feelings.”

Galyna Andrusenko’s works are entirely monochrome, her original technique combining watercolour with pencil. The exhibition features works from her PROTECTED series showing sketches at almost full scale of what the monuments in Lviv and other cities of Ukraine look like now – covered with sandbags and wrapped in protective material in an attempt to prevent destruction from bombing. Andrusenko’s technique and daring angles result in very accurate and relatable images.

Daniil Nemyrovskyi’s Mariupol series is based on his observations while in Mariupol during the siege by Russian invaders. For a long time, the artist had no contact with the outside. Fortunately, he was able to leave the city before its occupation. Nemyrovskyi is now using his special technique to put the horrors he saw and experienced down on paper.

Mykola Bilous is a mature Ukrainian artist with his own recognisable style of painting. He is dubbed a “post-media artist” and often uses film footage to inform his paintings and also has his own system of colour harmonisation. The work on display, Pony, is a poignant scene of a little girl saying goodbye to her horse.

A piece by Kateryna Lysovenko shows people who, despite the danger arriving from the sea, vacation on the coasts of free cities. Although they are relatively safe, they still feel disconnected from their usual lives, as a vacation by the sea will never be what it once was. In a situation of war, the body is a target, the bodies of civilians, of military personnel, of doctors. Walking bodies do not obey the logic of war.