ArtCult Gallery

Maksym Mazur

From the Concentration of the Will at M17Hive90x50x40 cm, military box, wooden frame for honeycomb, 2023Price on request

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    The idea of the project arose on the basis of a real story. In the break between the battles near Bakhmut, a swarm of bees flew into an empty ammunition box. One of the soldiers made frames with honeycombs for them. 
    This case became a metaphor for the power of nature, which, despite everything, finds a way to assimilate and continue life - even in military artifacts. Bees are highly organized insects and in many ways resemble human societies. As part of the project, an installation was created from ammunition boxes transformed into beehives.

From the Concentration of the Will at M17Concentration on the storyInstallation made of books and wooden sticksPrice on request

  • Read more about the artwork

    "On February 24, the anniversary of the full-scale war, I did this work in my own workshop at the Institute of Automation for several invited friends. I sometimes use the space of my own workshop to create mobile installations. For me, such works are an important component of the laboratory creative process, which aims to create a live interaction with the viewer, encouraging dialogue on various topics that concern me.
    This work was created using old books thrown into the trash. Their destruction in a metaphorical form aims to show the materiality of the conditional myth. This work was, to some extent, my answer to those I know from Russia, who for a whole year did not publicly react to the war and to those who justify it with the arguments of official propaganda. I wanted to emphasize that the concepts and narratives that dictatorship manipulates are fictional, unlike the suffering it brings."

Video

Maksym Mazur's Installation

"The idea for the project was inspired by a true story. During a pause between battles near Bakhmut, a swarm of bees flew into an empty ammunition box. One of the soldiers made frames with honeycombs for them. 
This became a metaphor for the power of nature, which, no matter what, finds a way to assimilate and continue to live - even in military artefacts. Bees are highly organised insects and in many ways resemble human communities." - Maksym Mazur

Illustration

About the artist

Maksym Mazur (Reshetylivka village, Poltava region, 1990) is a Ukrainian artist.

Education
2005-2008 – State art secondary school named after T.G. Shevchenko, Kyiv.

2008-2012 – National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture. (Crimean branch). Kolchugine, Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

2012-2014 – National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, Kyiv.

  • List of the exhibitions

    2022 – Ukraine! unmuted, Triennial of Ukrainian Contemporary Art "Ukrainian Slice", Kaunas, Lithuania.

    2022 - Unity: British and Ukrainian Art, Koppel X Gallery, London, UK.

    2022 – Relocation, Institute of Automation, PM Gallery, Lviv.

    2022 – Second international exhibition ART FAIR ART COMPENSA, Vilnius, Lithuania.

    2022 – Terra Libera, Venice Art Gallery, Venice, Italy.

    2022 - Time of war, reflections..., Dzyga, Lviv.

    2022 – Institutionalization, Imagen point, Kyiv.

    2021 – Labyrinths of discourse, as part of the opening of the XIV platform "New Directions". Institute of problems of modern art. Kyiv.

    2021 – "Your name is Ukraine", Korsakiv Museum of Contemporary Ukrainian Art. Lutsk.

    2021 – Second All-Ukrainian Levkas Biennale, CSM White world, Kyiv.

    2021 - Visiocracy, as part of the opening of the XIII platform "New Directions". Institute of Problems of Contemporary Art, Kyiv.

    2020 – International project "One day after", Kyiv History Museum, Kyiv.

    2020 – Co-organizer of project space "Institute of Automation", Kyiv.