Finally
The exhibition 'Finally' continues the series of projects of the Laboratory of Contemporary Art of Mystetskyi Arsenal about artistic phenomena of 1990-2000.
The fact that seemed obvious to us in the 90s, has today confirmed its illusory nature. It does not mean that we were wrong, being carried away by the dreams. It only means that we were not able to calculate the distance and time, just were not ready to predict the scale of the "fight". We are the artists who strongly believed in the free art at the beginning of the 90's, and its ability to change us and the world. However, if we were to live exclusively by illusion, this exhibition would not be here. Today, we are doing "replication," a repetition of those ideas, joys and fears that were depressing and rejoicing us in the 90's. This replication - (which one already?) A conscious attempt to once again remind about the freedom of creativity.
Nearly 27 years ago Yurko Izdryk tried to capture our subconscious with the manifesto 'AND ONE MORE TIME ABOUT LOVE' in a booklet for the exhibition Impreza. Provincial Annex 2:. Quote:
"We do not seek self-expression. We have nothing to say. We are the same as you. We consume our own works, because it is cheaper than to observe masterpieces. Everyone can make a lovely palisade for himself. We love ourselves, this is how much we are able to love. SZHTUKA (?) thing as a thing. The thing as nothing. Can we say that nothing is better than us? Is it possible not to say anything (better than us), talking tirelessly? It is possible. And this is our first great achievement. True art does not cause neither delight nor disgust. True art does not cause anything. True art is unnoticed. We could not go unnoticed. We did not even succeed in this. And there is our second great achievement. We do not try to be pale. We are paler than a pale shadow.
The merit is not ours. Thank you mother nature."
We always do this with gratitude to mother nature. After us, our works will whisper or say nothing about something or about nothing. But it will be after…
In the early 1990's in Ivano-Frankivsk there has been formed a group of artists, whose creativity was inspired by the postmodern understanding of art and the exhibitions of the Impreza biennale. In addition to a large number of exhibitions, starting with the significant 'Provincial Annex 2' the artists of this circle wrote texts, books, carried out performative practices, created the "In the End" almanac, filmed videos, and participated in international projects.
The time has come to clear up the rubbish and to look for the foundations. What are we standing on? What will we be able to hold on to? What was going in the arts in the cities and villages of Ukraine, outside the capital? The easiest way is to say 'nothing' and to do nothing. But that will not be true. Historical gaps in the artistic process must be filled up before the smarter colonizers will do it for us.
The Ukrainian artistic process today resembles a carnival procession. And somewhere 'in the end' (depending on which side to look) there is a small group of artists from Ivano-Frankivsk. Their names don’t say anything to anyone, almost anywhere except from Frankivsk. But the time will tell whether 'the last will become the first'.
Artists: Anatol Zvizhinsky, Rostyslav Koterlin, Yuri Izdryk, Ihor Pereklita, Myroslav Yaremak, Mulyk Volodymyr, Myroslav Korol, Yaroslav Yanovskyi
Project curator: Anatol Zvizhinsky.
The project is implemented with support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.
Location where the exhibition takes place: 10, Lavrska street, Kyiv. Laboratory of Contemporary Art of Mystetskyi Arsenal 'Mala Gallery'.
Working hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:00-20:00.
