"Ukrainian DNA" at the Venice Biennale. How Ukraine will be represented at the most prestigious architectural exhibition in the world

This year, Ukraine will be represented at the Venice Biennale by two projects. Just a few weeks ago, the Ministry of Culture announced Ukraine's participation in the biennial at the state level. Then a commissioner was elected and it was announced that Ukraine will be represented by the National Pavilion, which will be called "Before the Future". Its curators were Iryna Miroshnikova, Oleksiy Petrov and Borys Filonenko. A number of artists and architects have been working on another project for the past three months on their own initiative. They announced their participation even before the Ministry of Culture, so as not to miss the opportunity to represent Ukraine at the biennial.

The project "Ukrainian DNA" under the curatorship of Roberto Bianconi will focus on the study of Genius Loci of Ukrainian culture and Ukrainian territory. It aims to establish the pan-European genesis of Ukraine, which has always been Europe, with values ​​laid down in previous centuries.

PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA spoke with the curator of the project and the deputy head of the Architectural Chamber of the National Union of Architects of Ukraine, Anna Kyrii, to find out what exactly Ukraine is preparing for one of the most prestigious architectural exhibitions in the world. 

"Ukrainian DNA" is a study of the roots of Ukrainian identity

The "Ukrainian DNA" project will be exhibited in Venice during the Architecture Biennale from May 18 to June 20, 2023 (preliminary opening on May 18 and 19) and will be located in the Hall del Camino of the Monastery of San Cosmas and Damiano of the Bevilacqua La Masa Foundation on the island of Giudecca.

Sala del Camino. Photo: from open sources

Giudecca Island. Photo: from open sources

The curators of the project, in addition to the aforementioned Roberto Bianconi, were ceramic artist Anna Manako, ambassador of the Design4Ukraine Association Anastasiya Biletska, member of the Architectural Chamber of NSAU Anna Kyriy, and doctor of philosophy in the field of architecture Olga Neshta.

The curatorial team of the "Ukrainian DNA" project

The project should become a voice that will help strengthen the communication of historical justice and promote effective cultural dialogue, mutual integration of Ukrainian and European contexts in the new era. 

"Our goal is to tell about Ukrainian DNA, but to do it in the language of architects. We really want the voice of Ukrainian architects to be heard in the world. During the war, we simply cannot waste this time and have to convey our opinion," says architect Anna Kyriy.

This is especially important in the context of the fact that now the occupiers are systematically, mercilessly and purposefully destroying the historical, cultural and architectural monuments of Ukraine. That is why the project conveys the true history of Ukraine through architectural and historical parallels.

What will the exposure look like?

The installation will be a material, spatial and temporal journey through important moments of Ukrainian history. This journey will be represented by 12 focal historical periods and plots, which are encoded and woven into a network of values, as understood by the artists. Thus, the space will house 12 three-meter carvings, on which the Ukrainian artist Daria Aloshkina works, 12 art objects made of rhizomes. At the end of the space there is a covered table with plates. 

Visualization of the exhibition "Ukrainian DNA" at the Venice Biennale

"This is our metaphor for war: an empty table with no people behind it. So we go through 12 of these historical moments: we go through 12 cutouts, through 12 rhizomes, and then we see an empty table with no people behind it. And then we will have a time capsule, where there will be a video message of Ukrainian architects, which will represent their voice," says Kyriy. 

Artist Daria Aloshkina in the process of creating a vytinanka. Photo: Daria Aloshkina/Facebook

There will also be 2-3 lecture days during the exhibition, the pool of speakers is currently being formed.

Rhizome

The project will be represented by 12 art objects made of rhizomes, which will become the embodiment of the fact that Ukrainians, cultivating roots from the past, form the fine fabric of the future - relationships and new forms of social organization.

Rhizome from the unique variety of Ukrainian wheat "Kateryna"

Artist Diana Bilichenko

"This art object made of roots is called a rhizome. It is created from the roots of the unique wheat variety "Kateryna", and the artist Diana Bilichenko is currently growing these roots into special icons that symbolize 12 symbolic milestones," says Kyriy. 

The curator of the "Rizoma" art project was Sana Moro.

The voice of architects

The architectural part of the project will also be presented through video presentations by Ukrainian architects, which will be recorded in different regions of Ukraine. Many Ukrainian architects today work and design the future under fire or even defend the future of Ukraine at the front with weapons in hand. 

Part of the "Voice of Architects" exposition

In these video speeches, they will all talk about the meaning of Ukrainian identity for them and the peculiarities of traditional historical architecture in Ukraine, as well as demonstrate architectural projects.

"We are now forced to protect our identity. In a world where the bigger and stronger can steal, appropriate your identity and sell it to the world as their own, what is Russia actually doing. We want to talk about it," Kyriy adds.

Revival of Ukraine

According to the architect, one of the goals of Ukraine's participation in the Venice Biennale is to lay the foundation for the future reconstruction of Ukraine. Therefore, the team plans to investigate the reconstruction of the Sviatohirskaya Lavra, which was significantly damaged as a result of hostilities, together with international specialists. 

Sviatohirska Lavra after shelling. Photo: Reuters

The Sviatohirsk community needs a strategic plan for reconstruction and a return to normal life. The curators of the project note that thanks to the meeting at the International Architectural Exhibition 2023, it will be possible to start the project, which will begin at the architectural biennial and continue with the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities.

 

 

See also:

The Venice Biennale announced the participants of the 18th architectural exhibition

Ukraine has decided to take part in this year's Venice Architecture Biennale

The Ministry of Culture announced who will represent Ukraine at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023