A Brief History of Tension, Resistance, and Love
A Brief History of Tension, Resistance, and Love
Dictionaries define the word “peace” as "the absence of hostilities", "the period between wars", and "an agreement between the warring parties". It seems that the expectation of war is a natural state of humanity. When did the history of this war actually start? On the 24th of February 2022 or in 2014? Or did it all begin 31 years ago with the restoration of Ukrainian Independence? Some say that this war has been going on for 300 years. Wars don’t start suddenly, but it’s impossible to be prepared for them. Sometimes, the threat is not obvious, or one just doesn’t want to notice it, as everyone believes in justice and the inviolability of borders. The more catastrophic the threat is, the harder it is to believe in its probability. Only after the irreparable happens can the puzzle of premonitions and what was not done be put together. At that moment, everyone faces a simple choice: to fight or to submit, because war doesn’t give other options. Ukrainians chose to resist and defend their home. It is only when we make our choice that the real struggle begins. It happens daily in each of us, in our everyday work, in overcoming tiredness, in caring, and in faith. The main source of strength in this struggle is love, which is felt in every act of caring for each other.
“A Brief History of Tension, Resistance and Love” is about the consequences of action and inaction, about how scary it is to face the truth when the whole world around you is soothing, smoothing the rough edges. Artworks in Ukraine created before the full-scale invasion have an apocalyptic feel. Some artists felt that darker times were coming, similar to the myth of Cassandra, whose prophecies were not believed. Artistic reflection requires time and distance, but artistic reaction allows for immediate fixation on the collective state. Artworks of martial law are evidence of events, states, emotions, and feelings. There is no doubt or uncertainty in these works because the proximity of death makes the sense of life clear, erasing most shades and halftones. However, against the backdrop of the darkest evil, love manifests itself especially vividly. This story is endless.
The Ukrainian Museum of Contemporary Art (UMCA) presents its first international project in Latvia, at Art Station Dubulti, Jūrmala, telling the story of the warnings nobody wanted to see, decisions everybody had to make, and precious moments of care and connection someone can experience during the darkest times. Crafted by curatorial duo Tetiana Lysun and Anna-Mariia Kucherenko, the exhibition includes more than thirty works by 22 artists and artist collectives in various media: painting, graphics, photography, video and mixed media objects created during the decade of 2010-2023, just before and during the brutal war started by Russian federation against Ukraine. The exhibited works come mostly from the UMCA collection and various private collections in Ukraine and abroad.
Artists of the exhibition are Mykhailo Alekseienko, Piotr Armianovski, Open Group, Anna Zvyagintseva, Zhanna Kadyrova, Alevtyna Kakhidze, Yana Kononova, Sasha Kurmaz, Kateryna Lysovenko, Roman Minin, Veronika Mol, Danylo Nemyrovskyi, Volodymyr Pavlov, Kostiantyn Polishchuk, Vasyl Tkachenko-Lyakh, Prykarpattian Theater, Vlada Ralko, Denys Salivanov, Yarema Malashchuk and Roman Khimei, Alina Yakubenko, Kinder Album.
The Ukrainian Museum of Contemporary Art (UMCA) established by the NGO Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in spring 2023 is an innovative museum institution that unites professionals of contemporary art of Ukraine, makes contemporary art more accessible to different audiences and enables a public dialogue about a common future in the territory of contemporary art. Although the museum lacks physical walls, it boasts a dedicated team and a distinct collection of more than 200 works created after February 24, 2022, and purchased with funds from international donors. The basis of the exhibition “A Brief History of Tension, Resistance, and Love” in Latvia is the Wartime Art Archive, a curated database of Ukrainian wartime art started on February 24, 2022, by MOCA NGO. The first public manifestation of the archive was the Piazza Ucraina project initiated by Cecilia Alemani and presented at the 59th Venice Biennale (2022). During its first year, the Archive collaborated with MARKK (Hamburg, Germany), The World Bank Art program (Washington, DC, USA), the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, US), Museum für Kommunikation (Berlin, Germany) and the Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina).
Public programme includes the opening of the exhibition in October 27 at 5pm, the guided tours in the exhibition with curators in October 28 at 2pm and October 29 at 2pm, the guided tour in the exhibition with the Art Station Dubulti director in November 11 at 2pm, and the Annual international literature festival Prose Readings with the event by Inga Žolude and young writers - essays inspired by works in the exhibition “A Brief History of Tension, Resistance, and Love” in December 9 at 4 pm. Free entrance. The exhibition is open every day until January 14 from 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Tours in the exhibition : dubulti.art.station@gmail.com.
Art Station Dubulti is the only professional exhibition hall in Europe, located in a functioning railway station. It has been operating since 2015, when the idea of multi- functionality was embodied in the modernistic building from 1970s with a significant concrete silhouette. Art Station Dubulti creates solo exhibitions of the best Latvian artists, international projects and paying attention to the exhibition as a dialogue between a work of art and the spectator. The program is implemented with the support of Jūrmala City Council and State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia. The head and founder of Art Station Dubulti is art critic and curator Inga Šteimane.
“A Brief History of Tension, Resistance, and Love” takes place with the financial support of the Jūrmala City Council and the State Culture Capital Foundation. Exhibition is supported by Jūrmalas Mežaparki, Sony, Spirits and Wine in Latvia. Exhibition is supported of the Ukrainian Museum of Contemporary Art (UMCA), the NGO Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Ukraine, UKRAINIAN EMERGENCY ART FUND CHARITABLE FOUNDATION (UEAF) and Artist in Risk Connections (ARC) by PEN America (USA).