Ukraine 2024

Title: Net Making

Commissioner: Taras Shevchenko, Deputy Minister for European Integration

Curators: Viktoria Bavykina, Max Gorbatskyi

Artists: Katya Buchatska, Andrii Dostliev, Lia Dostlieva, Andriy Rachinskiy, Daniil Revkovskiy, Oleksandr Burlaka

The concept of “Weaving the Nets” aligns with the thematic essence of the  60th Venice Art Biennale, even though curators Viktoria Bavykina and Max Gorbatskyi were unaware of the event’s theme when conceiving the project.

Inspired by their collaboration with Liverpool’s Open Eye Gallery, known for its sensitive approach and community engagement, Bavykina and Gorbatskyi conceived a participatory project involving the creation of a camouflage net through voluntary collective action. The metaphorical resonance with the Ukrainian experience since the Revolution of Dignity reflects the heightened need for collective action as a survival condition, emphasizing a horizontal interaction that does not diminish individual agency but fosters emancipation.

Despite their background in photography, the curators intentionally exclude it from ‘Weaving the Nets,’ emphasizing video and installation as the dominant mediums. Guest artists are envisioned not as traditional creators but as facilitators, contributing to three distinct projects within the exhibition.