Event

Imagine Ukraine – Art as a Critical Attitude
06 May 2022 - 28 August 2022

M HKA, Antwerpen, Leuvenstraat 32

The exhibition at M HKA presents the vital Ukrainian art scene from the perspective of art as a critical instrument.

 

Nikita Kadan attaches a Soviet star to a Portuguese coloniser’s sculpture from Benin. In a recent video, Sergey Bratkov shows his brother, an architect living in Kharkiv, who measures a dilapidated building. In the spirit of the Maidan Revolution, Davyd Chychkan reflects on his society’s future, inspired by the forces that were active in the — that existed from 1917 until the Soviet victory in 1921 –, with the black of anarchism (for an anti-authoritarian future), the red of socialism (for social equality), and the purple of feminism — for a culturally progressive horizon. He interweaves these with the colours, symbols and heritage of Ukraine. Its counterpart is the wall drawing Landscape with Staffage by Anna Scherbyna.


Another core element of the programme is See Ukraine, a film programme with videos by young Ukrainian artists, shedding light on current issues of identity and the relationship with past and future. The programme is introduced by the song Obiymy [Hug Me] by Svyatoslav Vakarchuk and the Akustikos Art Group, recently recorded in the ruins of Palats Pratsi [the Palace of Labour] in Kharkiv.


To add a playful element, on the other side of the library Alevtina Kakhidze’s The Most Commercial Project is also shown. Kakhidze investigates ideas of value, materialism, possession and consumption by imitating clothes she likes, then selling them at the clothes' original retail price.

 

The campaign image of Imagine Ukraine was created by Nikolay Karabinovych.

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About M HKA / Mission Statement

The M HKA is a museum for contemporary art, film and visual culture in its widest sense. It is an open place of encounter for art, artists and the public. The M HKA aspires to play a leading role in Flanders and to extend its international profile by building upon Antwerp's avant-garde tradition. The M HKA bridges the relationship between artistic questions and wider societal issues, between the international and the regional, artists and public, tradition and innovation, reflection and presentation. Central here is the museum's collection with its ongoing acquisitions, as well as related areas of management and research.

About M HKA Ensembles

The M HKA Ensembles represent our first steps towards initiating the public to today's art-related digital landscape. With the help of these new media, our aim is to offer our artworks a better and fuller array of support for their presentation and public understanding.