Exhibition "Art vs. War"
On the eve of the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion of the Ukrainian nation by the Russian Federation, the Mieroszewski Centre invited to a unique exhibition of posters by Polish and Ukrainian artists entitled "Art vs. War".
24 February 2022 - a date that changed our perception of the world forever - the start of Russia's aggression against Ukraine triggered a wave of violence that could not go unanswered. Artists from both Ukraine and Poland stood on the artistic front line, creating works of art to protest against Russian cruelty. The art presented in the exhibition was a manifesto of solidarity with the victims of the genocide and a critique of the lack of determination on the part of the Western world.
The works on display by well-known Ukrainian artists and creators, including Nikita Titov and Oleksandr Hrekhov, are part of the book 'War Time Posters'. These expressive works have already been exhibited at numerous international exhibitions, including in the USA and the UK, gaining worldwide recognition.
The works of Polish artists, on the other hand, were created as a reaction to Russian crimes and propaganda on the one hand, and as an expression of empathy for Ukrainians on the other. The Polish section is a collection of works by authors, such as Bartłomiej Kiełbowicz, Andrzej Rysuje (Andrzej Milewski), Marta Frej, Matylda Damięcka, Paweł Jońca and others, who, through their sculptures, posters and installations, actively react to Russian crimes, and whose works - often becoming viral on social media - are an expression of solidarity and support for the Ukrainian people.
The opening of the exhibition took place on 23 February at 7 p.m. The public was invited to visit the exhibition every day until 29 February from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Ukrainian part of the exhibition included works by: Dmytr Dziuba, Mykola Honcharov, Zakentiy Horobyov, Oleh Hrechov, Oleh Hryshchenko, Artem Husiev, Albina Yalozya, Andriy Yermolenko, Katya Lisova, Anton Lohov, Maxim Palenko, Dasha Podoltseva, Oleksiy Revika, Oleksiy Saja, Dmytr Simonov, Mykhailo Skop, Nikita Titov, Mykyta Shlimov, Albin Yalozy and participants of the group project 'Art Against War' (Kateryna Buchatska, Nikita Kravtsov and Misha Zawalny).
The Polish part of the exhibition consists of sculptures, posters, installations and banners by nineteen artists: Agata Nowicka, Aleksander Małachowski (Hashtagalek), Aleksandra Cieślak, Andrzej Rysuje (Andrzej Milewski), Bartłomiej Kiełbowicz, Beata Śliwińska (Barrakuz), Hania Kmieć, Ida Karkoszky, Irmina Staś, Jakub Jezierski, Marta Frej, Matylda Damięcka, Max Skorwider, Michał Frydrych, Michał Slezkin, Patryk Sroczyński, Paweł Jońca, Tomasz Kopcewicz and Tomasz Partyka.
The curators of the project were Hennadiy Kozub and Bartłomiej Kiełbowicz. The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the Mieroszewski Centre, the Union of Contemporary Art Researchers, Biruchiy Contemporary Art Project, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.
