A discussion that addressed the works of the exhibition and the creative work of the invited speakers in relation to current events and the factual political climate in Europe: the war Russia is waging in Ukraine as well as its wavelike consequences in neighboring countries and beyond. How does space, media, politics and – most of all – language work together to explore complex and different values? Language, in the broader sense, is crucial in both art and political rhetoric – as a tool for influencing the everyday world: the discussion will attempt to unearth the artists’ relationship with words and forms of expression through questions about the connection between creativity and various kinds of resistance.
About the film by Mykola Ridnyi “NO! NO! NO!”
The protagonists of the film are young people from Kharkiv, a city in northeastern Ukraine. The beginning of their early twenties coincides with the breakout of war in the neighboring region of Donbas. A queer activist and poet, a fashion model, a group of street artists, a computer game creator — all of them are artists or work in the creative industries, typical for a peaceful life in a big city. However, proximity to the war affects each of the characters, as well as their activities. Heroes react to and reflect political events through their specific relationships with urban space and with the reality of social media. Documentary stories from a peaceful city alternate with amateur videos, where witnesses and victims of the war demon strate its proximity to their own homes. Although the film’s narrative juxtaposes two different modes of reality, its meaning changed after the Russian invasion in 2022, when the war spread to new territories, including the city of Kharkiv.
Ivars Šteinbergs is a poet and critic, author of the poetry collections Hive (Neputns, 2020) and Youth (Neputns, 2022). He holds a master’s degree in Comparative Literary Studies, has studied the philosophy of translation and is interested in linguistic phenomena.
Tomass Pildegovičs is an international security expert and a PhD candidate in Politics and International Relations at the University of Cambridge. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Thomas has gained recognition for his analytical reviews on Instagram, where he explains war and security-related topics in ordinary language.
Mykola Ridnyi is an artist, filmmaker, and curator living and working in Kyiv. He graduated in 2008 from the National Academy of Design and Arts in Kharkiv. Since 2005, he has been a founding member of the SOSka group, an art collective that has curated and organized many art projects in Kharkiv. Since 2017, he has been the co-editor of the online magazine Prostory. His works have been shown in exhibitions and film festivals including Transmediale at HKW in Berlin, the 35th Kassel documentary film festival, The Image of War in Stockholm, All the World’s Futures at the 56th Venice Biennale, and at other venues.
Sofiia Oleinichuk is a Ukrainian artist, art student , and social activist, currently studying graphic art at the Art Academy of Latvia.