Place: Skulpturenmuseum Marl

Time: The lecture starts at 18.30

 It will take around 1.5h

This lecture will use image and video examples to explore trends in Ukrainian society, expressing in art the challenges and anxieties that emerged after the dissolution of the USSR. Various conceptual and typological frameworks dealing with social time, anthropological changes, psychedelic experiences, media reflection and political critique will be discussed. The spiritual development of society, the exploration of sexuality during political upheavals and the innovative experiments in the field of media art will also be addressed.

Using the themes and images of the video artworks shown in the exhibition, important phases of Ukrainian development will be outlined and the path of transformation will be shown through the artistic lens. The 1990s marked the first decade of Ukrainian independence, a time when artists found new and powerful inspiration for the formation of cultural identities.

The transition from the totalitarian Soviet regime to a democratic society, the transition from the communist to the capitalist model, was shaped by the programme of Perestroika. The independent Ukrainian state was fertile ground for the fusion of new movements with long-standing traditions and values. The attitude of Ukrainian artists towards the cultural and political changes is examined, as is the collaboration with international experts and institutions that flourished during this period and continues to this day. This era led to a reassessment of the role of the individual as a citizen, his rights and freedoms, and initiated a change in the ideological cultural landscape, which is illustrated here.

Kateryna Ray is an internationally working art curator and art historian, as well as a researcher of public art. Ray has worked in the field of cinema and television in the arts and culture sector and initiated the author programmes Art City and Prosto Art on ProstoRadio. She currently lives and works in Münster. Most recently, she worked for the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe and co-curated the exhibition “Transformation. History of Ukraine in video art of the 1990s-2000s” at Skulpturenmuseum Marl.

Please note: The lecture will be held in English. Furthermore, a live-stream will be put into place. You will find the connection link HERE.

Screenshot (c): G. Katchuk, O. Kashimbeckova, "Good Luck Chain Videocassette", 2000/2001