Ukrainians find comfort at contemporary art fair

KYIV: A contemporary art fair has been held in the Ukrainian capital with an unusual premise: that art can help a society come to terms with what war has made normal. “Holding the event during wartime means not waiting for a better moment, but working with reality as it is,” said Anna Avetova, director of the Art Kyiv fair.

“In this context, art does not stand apart from life — it helps make sense of the present, preserve cultural continuity, and lay the groundwork for the future.” Titled This is Normal, the fair has become a space where Ukrainians try to make sense through painting, sculpture and conversation of a reality in which missile strikes, death and loss have quietly become a part of ordinary life.

Hundreds of works filled the space at the Lavra Gallery, from oddly shaped sculptures to paintings spanning from expressive abstraction to surreal portraiture and atmospheric landscapes. Notably, not a single booth is dedicated specifically to the war. That was a deliberate choice.

“The war is always in the air, we just really didn’t want to make a point of mentioning it,” Avetova said. “Art is one of the things that keeps us human. It sustains us and warms our soul when things are very hard.”

The organisers said the event was also intended to provide a boost to the domestic art market, which had already stagnated under COVID-19 before the Russian war made things worse. The market is gradually beginning to recover, and the fair is one example of how Ukrainian artists are ready not only to speak about the war, but to sell paintings.

Art Kyiv describes itself as a cultural platform where artistic experience, public discourse and contemporary Ukrainian reality meet. In a hall occasionally pierced by air-raid sirens warning of Russian strikes, the event has united Ukraine’s most prominent galleries, artists, collectors, and cultural institutions.

It is being held for only the second time since the war began after launching in October. Ceramic artist Tala Vovk is showing her work for the first time. She tries to attend art events in Kyiv frequently, as it helps her take her mind off the war and “detach from the tragedy.”

“Art is a place where the everyday doesn’t exist,” she said. In her view, even during wartime such events matter, because it is important to nourish the cultural foundation and give it strength so that it can take root and grow stronger. “And that would give strength in any situation,” she said.

That was the case for artist Yuriy Vatkin, who in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion found himself trapped under occupation between Ukraine’s northern city Kharkiv and the Russian border. Painting helped him to survive and maintain his mental health, even after his studio was damaged in an attack, according to his representative at the fair, Denys Dmytriev.

None of the art works, which are primarily for sale, show anything focused on the war. The artists have opted instead for something more neutral. Vatkin is represented by works in his signature style, where thick, layered brushstrokes, fragmented forms and a vivid use of color create a sense of motion and instability.

Anna Domashchenko, a visitor to the event, said she was drawn to the rich, saturated hues because they evoke intense emotions. She attends art events frequently and says it matters deeply to her that they continue despite the war. “Sometimes you wonder whether it’s appropriate... but these are exactly the things that inspire you and remind you that life is full of colour, and all of those colours should be present at any time,” she said. “Even in times as hard as these.”

Associated Press