20 May 2010

Ukrainian Art in Transition at PERMM Museum of Contemporary Art

ЯКЩО / ЕСЛÐ? / IF
Ukrainian Art in Transition

Exhibition at the PERMM Museum of Contemporary Art
May 21 – July 10, 2010

On May 21, a major exhibition of Ukrainian contemporary art opens at the PERMM Museum of Contemporary Art in Perm, Russia. 'ЯКЩО/ЕСЛÐ?/IF' will be the first large-scale show of Ukrainian art beyond that country's borders, and is the brainchild of the museum and the Moscow-based curator Ekaterina Degot.

The exhibition features art that reflects the distinctive contours of Ukrainian life after the Orange Revolution – an unstable but productive ferment, full of contradictions, promises from politicians, hope for a new post-Communist footing, and disenchantment with neoliberalism. Ukrainian art of that period is one facet of an outpouring of revolutionary and creative energy.

The main part of the exhibition showcases around 100 works by 30 artists. They are grouped into 4 sections: 'Maidan' focuses on political and public art. 'Wonderland' includes critical reflections on nationalism and bureaucratic notions of ethnic identity. 'Phantoms' shows visionary painting, and 'Dreamers' is for reflections on the social and emotional underpinnings of contemporary Ukraine.

Participating artists include Sergei Bratkov, Olexandr Gnylytsky, Arsen Savadov, and younger talents such as Zhanna Kadyrova and the R.E.P. and Soska groups.

A special section of the exhibition – 'Histories' – explores unofficial Soviet art from the 1980s until the beginning of the 1990s, a formative time for today's artists. There are Ukrainian paintings from the collection of Marat Guelman, conceptual and naive art from the collection of the Odessa- and Kiev-based artist and curator Alexandr Roytburd, and an exposition of the Kharkov school of underground photography, which gave rise to Boris Mikhailov and Sergei Bratkov.

The show opens with lectures and discussions with Ukrainian artists. Some elements of the project will be staged in the city itself, and there will be a catalog in Russian and English.


Support for the exhibition is provided by the ArtKhronika Cultural Fund in Moscow and the New Collection Fund for the Support of Cultural Projects in Perm. The official insurance partner is OAO Alphastrakhovanie.