Beyond the Shadowat the M17 Contemporary Art Center

Organised by: M17 Contemporary Art CenterPartner: Adamovskiy Foundation

Current project

    102-104, Antonovycha St., Kyiv, 03150, Ukraine

From March 27, 2025

Tuesday – Sunday: 11 am – 8 pm

About the Exhibition

On March 27, 2025, the new exhibition project “Beyond the Shadow” was opened at the M17 CAC, Kyiv.
The exhibition will showcase works by Daniel Arsham, Nazar Bilyk, Kateryna Buchatska, Diana Demyanenko, Olena Dombrovska, Zhanna Kadyrova, Anish Kapoor, Alicja Kwade, Vartan Markarian, Serhiy Nizhynsky, Serhiy Popov, Bettina Pousttchi, Sergii Radkevych, Ugo Rondinone, Kostyantyn Rudeshko, Yuriy Syvyryn, Myroslav Vayda, and VJ Yarkus.
The project explores the perception of space, time, and reality. Art serves as a portal to dimensions beyond the ordinary, inviting viewers to discover new perspectives beyond their existing worldview. “Beyond the Shadow” is an attempt to approach the invisible, rethink materiality, and unveil new horizons of existence.

  • ___Read the concept

    The human universe unfolds within three dimensions. It’s not merely a generally accepted reality; it’s also a reflection of the metaphysical progress of our consciousness. We perceive space through the interaction of our senses with the environment. The essence of existence goes beyond physical perception but is enriched by individual imagination and comprehension. Yet, the desire to transcend matter and time’s constraints seems utopian today.
    In the early 20th century, Albert Einstein introduced a groundbreaking concept of the fourth dimension, proposing that space and time are not separate but intrinsically linked. He illustrated this through the notion of “spacetime,” where time functions as one of the dimensions alongside the three spatial ones.
    We engage with time through experience — it structures the way of being, delineating the trajectory from birth to death. Yet, despite the understanding of its nature, we cannot traverse it freely as through other dimensions. One cannot return to the past or peer into the future.
    By the late 1970s, a group of physicists developed string theory, which suggests the existence of more than ten spatial dimensions. For beings bound to a three-dimensional framework, conceiving a higher-dimensional reality is challenging. Tracing an analogy with projections: a square is the shadow of a cube in three-dimensional space, a cube is the shadow of a tesseract (a four-dimensional hypercube), and the tesseract, in turn, is but the projection of a five-dimensional form. By this logic, our world may be nothing more than the shadow of other, unperceived realities existing alongside it.
    Some physicists suggest that time itself is an illusion — a mere construct for the sequence of events unfolding within space. Does this imply that human life is endless, capable only of transforming in form and dimension, while every object persists eternally in various projections? If so, then virtual art may hold the key to a transcendent being, enhancing human imagination.
    It is human perception, that constructs one’s reality — assumptions, awareness, and belief in the existence of certain phenomena have historically led to transformations of planetary scale.
    Throughout history, scientific advancements have sparked artists’ creative pursuits, leading to radical experiments with form, space, motion, optics, and materiality — all in an effort to better comprehend and express the matter of being.
    Research into the nature of human perception gave rise to Cubism, where artists deconstructed and reassembled space across multiple perspectives. Theories of motion in physics inspired Futurists to break beyond spatial confines, discovering dynamic movement through abstraction.
    Yet overcoming the constraints of three-dimensionality demanded alternative approaches impossible to realize within a physical object. The search for “pure art” was taken up by the Suprematists, who abandoned representational imagery, instead appealing to new emotional and spiritual senses through colour and form. In pursuit of new dimensions, artists either turned to magical insights drawn from the subconscious or conversely, emphasised the primacy of the idea and the concept of the artist as the creator.
    Idea, senses, imagination and intuition form a unique modern “fourth axis” in the process of imaginary “construction”. Technologies now make possible what once seemed impossible.
    “Beyond the Shadow” is a rethinking of space, reality and time — fundamental concepts that shape the human vision of the world and define the boundaries between the real and the imagined. Within this context, artists not only equally contribute along with scientists to universal exploration but become unique prophets of today.
    The exhibition is supported by Adamovskiy Foundation.

Artists of the project

Illustration

Daniel Arsham

Daniel Arsham creates installations and objects that evoke a mythical contemporary archaeology, distorting familiar forms into corroded or glitched artifacts. He studied at Cooper Union and has exhibited worldwide, including at MoMA, The New Museum, and the Centre Pompidou. His works are in major museum collections, and he has collaborated with brands like Adidas, Dior, and Porsche. In 2008, he co-founded Snarkitecture.

Illustration

Nazar Bilyk

Sculptor, author of public space works. Lives and works in Kyiv. Born in 1979 in Lviv. Studied at the Boychuk Institute and the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in Kyiv.
Finalist of “MUHi” (2010) and “Smach 2019” in Italy. Winner of the “To the Slain Sons of Ukraine” monument competition (2002, with Mykola Malyshko). Received a Presidential Grant (2013).

Illustration

Kateryna Buchatska

Born in 1987 in Kyiv. Studied in Kyiv and Dijon. Her work explores timelessness, transformation, and metamorphosis through installation, sculpture, photography, and painting.
She collaborates on preserving Paraska Plytka-Horytsvit’s legacy and works with neurodivergent artists. In 2024, she presented Best Wishes at the Ukrainian Pavilion, Venice Biennale. Lives and works in Kyiv.

Illustration

Diana Demyanenko

Born in 2000 in the Odesa region, Diana Demyanenko lives and works in Kyiv. She earned a master’s degree from the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in 2024.
Her work explores human-environment relationships, wartime conditions, and personal transformation, using painting, installation, and natural materials like soil and wax.

Illustration

Olena Dombrovska

Born in 1985 in Odessa, Ukraine. Lives and works in Kyiv.
In 2002-2007 she studied at the Grekov Odesa Art school, at the Department of Painting. Graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in 2014 (Kyiv), with specialization in monumental painting. Lives and works in Kyiv.

Illustration

Zhanna Kadyrova

Born in 1981 in Brovary, Kyiv region, Zhanna Kadyrova lives and works in Kyiv.
She graduated from the Taras Shevchenko State Art School and has received several prestigious awards, including the Taras Shevchenko Prize (2025). She works with GALLERIA CONTINUA.

Illustration

Anish Kapoor

Anish Kapoor, born in 1954 in Bombay, is a British sculptor known for his simple, curved, and monochrome works. He studied art in London and became part of the New British Sculpture group in the 1980s. His large-scale works include Taratantara (1999), Marseille (2002), and Cloud Gate (2004) in Chicago. Kapoor's sculptures often feature reflective surfaces that distort the viewer and environment.

Illustration

Alicja Kwade

Alicja Kwade, born in 1979 in Katowice, Poland, works in Berlin. She is known for sculptures and installations that challenge perception and explore reality.
Kwade has exhibited globally, including at the Metropolitan Museum (2019) and Place Vendôme (2022). Her works are in collections like the Centre Pompidou and LACMA.

Illustration

Vartan Markarian

Vartan Markaryan was born in 1991 in Poltava, Ukraine.
2008–2014 – Poltava National Technical University named after Y. Kondratyuk. Master’s Degree in Fine Arts.

Illustration

Serhiy Nizhynsky

Born in 1980 in Odesa, Ukraine. A philosopher, artist, and writer based in Kyiv. He works with augmented reality, 3D graphics, and sound & light installations.
He holds diplomas from the American Art Incubator (2020, 2018) and a Master of Law degree from the National University “Odesa Law Academy” (2013).

Illustration

Serhiy Popov

Born in Horishni Plavni, Ukraine in 1978. Graduates from the National Aerospace University named after Nikolay Zhukovsky “Kharkiv Aviation Institute” in 2002.In 2005, co-founded SOSka Group.In 2015-2016, was a member of the Alliance22 art group.In 2017, co-founded the artist-run organisation KNO | Kyiv Non Objective.Works with painting, sculpture, video and photography.

Illustration

Bettina Pousttchi

Bettina Pousttchi, born in 1971 in Mainz, is a prominent German contemporary artist with international recognition, including solo exhibitions at the Hirshhorn Museum and the Phillips Collection. She studied at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Université de Paris, and in philosophy and art history at the Universities of Cologne and Bochum. Notable awards include the Villa Aurora (2016) and the Wolfsburg Art Award (2014). She lives and works in Berlin.

Illustration

Sergii Radkevych

Born in 1987 in Lutsk, Ukraine, Radkevych graduated from the Lviv National Academy of Arts.
A founder of the BLACK CIRCLE FESTIVAL, he blends street art with sacred themes, combining Eastern Christian iconography with geometric forms. He works with street art, public art, painting, graphics, and installation.

Illustration

Ugo Rondinone

Born in 1964 in Brunnen, Switzerland, Ugo Rondinone lives and works in New York.
His recent exhibitions include the Petit Palais Museum in Paris (2022), MAH in Geneva (2023), and Kunsthalle Helsinki (2019). He is known for large-scale public works, such as "human nature" in Rockefeller Plaza (2013) and "seven magic mountains" near Las Vegas (2016).

Illustration

Kostyantyn Rudeshko

Born in 1971 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Formerly a certified psychologist, Konstantin is a photographer with extensive experience (since 1995). He works at the intersection of op art and abstraction.
Kostyantyn’s works have been exhibited multiple times in the UK, Switzerland, and Poland.

Illustration

Yuriy Syvyryn

Born in 1983 in Kyiv, he graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in 2007.
He completed a postgraduate internship at NAFAA from 2007 to 2010 and has taught at various institutions, including NAFAA and Dragomanov National Pedagogical University. He works across painting, video, installation, and objects.

Illustration

Myroslav Vayda

Born in 1977 in Transcarpathia, Myroslav Vayda works in performance, installation, painting, and photography.
He co-founded the “KOMA” art formation and received the Gaude Polonia scholarship in 2009. His works have been presented at major Ukrainian art forums and solo exhibitions in Poland and Lithuania.

Illustration

VJ Yarkus

Vj Yarkus is a Ukrainian media artist specializing in audiovisual performances, light installations, video mapping, and sound art.
He has showcased his work at major festivals like Burning Man, SvitloFest, and Signal Festival. Yarkus is the founder of Carbon Media Art Laboratory and The Sound Eye audiovisual art label.

Photos of the Exposition

Organizer and partner

Illustration

M17 Contemporary Art Center

M17 Contemporary Art Center is a cultural institution that functions as an educational and research platform, an exhibition venue for Ukrainian and foreign contemporary art. M17 supports art experiments, collaborations to integrate Ukrainian art into the world context.

Illustration

Adamovskiy Foundation

Adamovskiy Foundation is a non-profit foundation founded in 2018 by businessman Andriy Adamovskiy. The Foundation’s activities are aimed at preserving and studying the cultural heritage of Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

Location of the exhibition