25 years of presence: Contemporary ukrainian artists

The present edition marks the 25th anniversary of Ukraine's sovereign statehood. Over this period,contemporary Ukrainian art saw several generation changes and had gradually become one of the most prominent phenomena of the national culture, mirroring its potential, challenges, ambiguities and innovations.

In a way, it follows up on the earlier 20 Years of Presence project, extending its scope and increasing its diversity. I see my main goal as the popularization of contemporary Ukrainian art both in Ukraine and abroad. Therefore, I would like to represent it in all its various mediums: traditional painting, graphic art, sculpture and photography coexisting with exceedingly prominent new artistic practices and new kinds of art made possible by cutting-edge technologies and new media. I have also broadened the creative field, both in my exhibitions and in my publishing projects, by including the growing number of artists from different generations and movements, enriching the panorama of contemporary Ukrainian art. All artists were offered an opportunity to describe what these 25 years of presence meant to them. Regretfully, we did not get a chance to talk to all artists featured in the present edition: several prominent late artists are represented by memoirs or essays on their works.

I would like to state outright that this is neither a Top 10 nor an encyclopedia, and neither does this book seek to offer a comprehensive catalogue of the contemporary Ukrainian art scene. Many artists who are not included here are well worth public attention. Their works should be featured in subsequent editions. For now, our team of art scholars have reached out to the artists who had garnered public attention over the last two decades. They already have “a story of their own,” longer and richer in the case of the older generation, shorter yet no less vibrant for the younger. We contacted those who have created a singular artistic universe, immediately recognizable to viewers and captivating to critics; they have a thing or two to say both about art and about life. Our selection will map out not only different generations but also different groups, movements and communities that were either active in the 1990s or remain active to this day: the artists of the New Wave and the Initial Response Unit, the legendary Painting Preserve, Kyiv squats, R.E.P., SOSka, Open Group and other alliances represent the broadest “artistic geography,” covering Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, Lviv, Kherson, Dnipro, Uzhhorod, as well as artists of Ukrainian origins that currently live abroad.

Igor Abramovych, concept, project curator

Авторки текстів: Галина Скляренко, Наталія Маценко, Катерина Рай, Роксана Рублевська, Інга Естеркін.