“Kyiv – Berlin Metro Construction” at M17 Contemporary Art Center Kyiv
21 November 2023
Kyiv – Berlin Metro Construction will be part of the Assembly Scheme exhibition at the M17 Contemporary Art Center, Kyiv, Ukraine.
Since April 2023, nine artists from Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Leipzig have worked at Kyiv’s Institute of Automation as part of the German residency project “Ich komme und sehe.” The residency allowed German-based artists to spend a month in Kyiv, engaging with the local art scene, especially with NAHIRNA22. While many Ukrainian artists were forced to move westward due to the full-scale invasion, few Western artists have come to work in Ukraine. This residency seeks to fill a gap, offering a non-journalistic approach to documenting the realities of war through fine art, which preserves information in unique and varied forms.
The exhibition does not follow a group concept; the unifying factor is the artists’ willingness to work in Kyiv, on the edge of war, and to express what they see through their art. Some artists have a longstanding connection with Ukraine, while others are visiting for the first time, resulting in a mix of finished works and experimental pieces that explore how to address this harsh reality through art.
The exhibition also raises questions about the value of an outsider’s perspective. German artists may never fully grasp the emotions or cultural context of those living in Kyiv, yet their work offers a fresh, external view on the situation.
The artworks presented were mostly created at the Institute this summer and are inspired by interactions with the NAHIRNA22 art group. The residency “Ich komme und sehe” was organized by painter Paul Maciejowski and funded by the Kunststiftung North Rhine Westphalia and the Ministry of Culture and Sciences North Rhine Westphalia, Germany.
Kyiv – Berlin Metro Construction consists of an emergency exit, two ventilation pipes with sounds of the Kyiv and Berlin metro system, a metro plan connecting the metro systems of Kyiv and Berlin, a Metro Kyiv “M” and U-Bahn “U” (all casts in gips as sunken reliefs) and a framed photograph of the first presentation in public space.
ARTISTS: Norman Behrendt, Nick Crowe & Ian Rawlinson, Samuel Ellinghoven, Paul Maciejowski, Anna Mirbach, Eric Pawlitzky, Andrėja Šaltytė & Leopold Tax, Leon Seidel, Sofie Schnellbach.
EXHIBITION:
21 Nov – 3 Dec 2023
Tue – Sun, 11 – 20 pm
M17 Contemporary Art Center
102-104, Antonovycha Street, Kyiv
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