On 18 April 2024, the inauguration of the Ukrainian Pavilion took place in Venice. The First Lady of Ukraine gave a special video address at the event at La Biennale di Venezia.
This year, Ukraine is represented in Venice by the group project "Net Making" curated by Viktoria Bavykina and Max Gorbatskyi. It consists of several artistic expressions: the installation "Best Wishes" by Katya Buchatska, realized together with a group of neurodiverse artists; the film "Civilians.
"Invasion" by Andrii Rachynskyi and Daniil Revkovskyi, the “Comfort Work” video project created by Andrii Dostliev and Lia Dostlieva and portraying “favourable” types of Ukrainian refugees, and the “Work” architectural installation by Oleksandr Burlaka, composed of woven linen fabrics from 1950s, which were found at Ukrainian flea markets.
“In a dialogue with this year’s biennale theme, ‘Foreigners Everywhere,’ the Ukrainian Pavilion project addresses the theme of otherness — through diverse personal experiences of war, emigration, and social integration,” - stated the curators.
Sharing experiences is the unifying motif of the Ukrainian collective project in Venice. "Net making is both a real practice and a metaphor for joint action," outlined Max Gorbatskyi, "It was important for us to talk about Ukrainian society today, and for the works to be created in collaboration with different communities. We invited the participants based on their practices, topics and approaches that are close to them. For example, Andrii Dostliev and Lia Dostlieva work a lot with the topics of identity, migration, and memory. Andrii Rachynskyi and Daniil Revkovskyi's practice is special because they work with stories of real people. Katya Buchatska has previously curated projects and exhibitions with neurodiverse artists."
"It is an opportunity to have an island about Ukraine in Venice. We don't have the privilege to think solely about art and artistic concepts. Unfortunately, the audience abroad is tired of the war. It is very important to be present at the Biennale because it is another reminder of us," - Viktoria Bavykina, co-curator of the Ukrainian Pavilion.
More about Ukrainian Pavilion here