IN THE EYE OF THE STORM

MODERNISM IN UKRAINE 1900’s - 1930’s

On Wednesday, June 15th, at 4 p.m., the Fondation Beyeler (Basel, Switzerland) will host a presentation of the Ukrainian project "In the Eye of the Storm. Modernism in Ukraine 1900-1930s".

09 June 22

On Wednesday, June 15th, 4 p.m., the Fondation Beyeler (Basel, Switzerland) will host a presentation of the Ukrainian project "In the Eye of the Storm. Modernism in Ukraine 1900-1930s".

"In the Eye of the Storm. Modernism in Ukraine 1900s-1930s" deals with the development of Ukrainian modernism in cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa. It is the first comprehensive display of Ukrainian Art from the beginning of the 20th century to be shown in the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum (Madrid, Spain).

The exhibition will comprise around 100 works from leading Ukrainian museums, as well as from Western public and private collections. The exhibition will be produced in partnership with the National Art Museum of Ukraine and other institutions.

The history of Ukrainian Modernism is tragic. At the beginning of the 1930‘s, many leading artists became victims of the Stalinist purges and their works were either destroyed or hidden in special repositories. Only after Ukrainian independence in 1991 did these canvases see the light of the day again.

The show will include works by Oleksandr Bogomazov, Olexandra Exter, Volodymyr and David Burliuk, Victor Palmov, Vasyl Yermylov, Anatol Petrytsky, Vadym Meller and others.

The Ukrainian Institute will present an extensive film programme focusing on Ukrainian modernist cinematography. In addition, a comprehensive catalog will be published in English.

The curatorial group includes Dr. Konstantin Akinsha (USA/Italy), art critic and co-founder of the Foundation for the Study of the Avant-Garde, Kateryna Denysova, PhD Candidate at the Courtauld Institute of Art, and Olena Kashuba-Volvach, PhD in Art Studies, Head of the Department of Art of early 19th-20th cent, at the National Art Museum of Ukraine.

The other participants of the presentation are: Guillermo Solana, artistic Director at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid, Andriy Adamovskiy, Ukrainian philanthropist, and collector, James Butterwick, British collector, and expert in the field of the Ukrainian modernist tradition, Tetyana Filevska, creative director at the Ukrainian Institute, Natalia Shpytkovska, director of M17 Contemporary Art Center, Kyiv.

The joint organizers of the presentation are the charity foundation "Art for Victory UA" and M17 Contemporary Art Center in Kyiv.

The partners of the presentation: The Fondation Beyeler, The Natalia Cola Foundation, Ukrainian Institute, Artcult Foundation, Artelia consultancy and Ukrainian project "Strong & Precious".