Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art to showcase artists of the Orange Revolution (10/30/05)

Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art to showcase artists of the Orange Revolution

CHICAGO - In December 2004 the world was focused squarely on the elections in a country that is seldom the subject of national or global headlines. The country is Ukraine and nearly one year ago, the people of Ukraine asserted their right not only to free elections but to fair elections.

The historical significance of what transpired from the attempted poisoning of the democratic candidate to the mass demonstrations in Kyiv's Independence Square, captured the hearts and minds of all who watched. For two weeks the world witnessed the power of the human spirit that desires freedom, fairness and democracy. Witnesses were in awe of the peaceful and organized manner in which hundreds of thousands united for the cause of democracy. People poured in from all regions of Ukraine, as did Ukrainians from around the world.

In freezing temperatures, tent cities were built and food was distributed. Rock stars performed and people blogged the events in real time from the streets via e-mail and text messages. In the end, the demonstrators, draped in the Orange color of their embattled candidate, prevailed, and Viktor Yushchenko was elected president of Ukraine.

Recognizing the historical significance of what was transpiring, the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago, in conjunction with the Center for Contemporary Art (CCA) in Kyiv, will host an exhibition of contemporary art that blossomed from the streets of the revolution.

During the demonstrations the director of the CCA in Kyiv, Yurij Onuch, flung open the doors of the center to young artists demonstrating in Independence Square and encouraged them to utilize the resources of the center to experiment and create utilizing the energy of the revolution as their muse. For several weeks a group of young artists utilized the facilities at the CCA to capture, explain and interpret the momentous occasion of the Orange Revolution.

The result was nothing short of extraordinary.

"Artists Respond: Ukrainian Art and the Orange Revolution" showcases the work of this new generation of Ukrainian artists. The exhibit captures the significance of a major historical event, and the art works ask difficult questions surrounding Ukraine's past, its identity today and how it will move forward. The compositions in the exhibition combine to explore these questions and others such as Ukraine's role in the West and how it manages its relationship with the East.

The exhibition offers works in many media including painting, sculpture and mixed media.

The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) has joined together with the Center for Contemporary Art to bring this exhibition of revolutionary art to Chicago. The UIMA will present the exhibition in North America from December 2 through February 28, 2006.

The exhibition is being co-curated by Yulia Vaganova, director for the Center of Contemporary Art, and Nicholas Sawicki, art chairman at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art. The exhibit is made possible by a grant from the Heritage Foundation.

An exclusive showing of "Artists Respond: Ukrainian Art and The Orange Revolution" is scheduled for Friday, December 2, at 7 p.m.

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The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art was founded by Dr. Achilles Chreptowsky to preserve and promote the knowledge and appreciation of contemporary Ukrainian art and culture. It has served as an artistic anchor in Chicago's West Town community for more than 30 years, providing world-class art exhibitions, concerts, literary readings, and educational and cultural exchanges.

The Center of Contemporary Art in Kyiv was established in 1993 as part of the international SCCA network. The center seeks to encourage the development of an artistic community by enabling artists, art agencies and professionals to undertake their own projects, participate in exhibitions of contemporary art, obtain information and establish local and international contacts. Since February 1999, the center has been operating as the Center of Contemporary Art - an Independent International Charitable Foundation that is a co-founder of the International Contemporary Art Network Association (ICAN) and is registered in the Netherlands.

The Heritage Foundation was created to support Ukrainian institutions such as the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art. The foundation supports numerous organizations including schools, museums and churches. The foundation also supports the growth and development of democracy in Ukraine.

The UIMA is located at 2320 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, (telephone, 773-227-5522). The institute is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Additional information is available at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art website at www.uima-art.org.

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