Promotion of Ukrainian art in the world: the collaboration between Mystetskyi Arsenal and the S-cape brand resumes

Mystetskyi Arsenal and the S-cape brand are resuming their collaboration and presenting a collection of accessories with works by Ukrainian avant-garde artists. The collaborative project was launched in the fall of 2021, but due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the presentation of the collection was postponed.

The collaboration between Mystetskyi Arsenal and the S-cape brand began with the idea of promoting the art of Ukrainian avant-garde artists, whose works are in the museum collection of Mystetskyi Arsenal. These works were on display at the Futuromarennia exhibition, which was held in the Old Arsenal galleries from October 15, 2021, to January 30, 2022. The last preparations for the presentation and photography set of the collection happened on February 21st, and on February 24th the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia began.

The resumption of work on this collaborative project between Mystetskyi Arsenal and the S-cape brand is an important step in several dimensions — the promotion of twentieth-century Ukrainian art in the world, the activation of the Ukrainian economy, and the support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“Two months have passed since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. We believe that with every day, no matter how difficult it may seem to us, we are getting closer to victory. Our strength is in the ability to self-organize and to find a variety of solutions to solving urgent problems. Since the beginning of the war, many organizations have adjusted their activities to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine, help temporarily displaced people, and other volunteer initiatives. At the same time, ahead of us is a lot of work to do to rebuild the country. We will not be able to fully recover from our losses for a long time, but we must find the strength to move forward, revitalize the economy and, accordingly, restore various areas of activities in regions where there are no active hostilities”, — says Julia Kolomak, Head of the Partnerships and Services for Visitors Development department, the main coordinator of this collaborative project on the side of the Mystetskyi Arsenal team.

Sisters Nataliia Aleksievych and Oksana Sventakh, founders of the S-cape brand, talk about the resuming of work: “In the first days of the war, we sent to the military, who needed warm clothes, winter parkas (jackets), snoods, and mittens, left after the season. We also were helping local manufacturers with sewing tactical first-aid bags. In mid-March, clients started writing us — many of them left their homes without spring clothes. Thus, we received new orders again and we have decided to resume our work. We continue to work, and this gives us the opportunity to support customers, our own team, and families, while continuing to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine — we forward them deductions from each product sold.”

The works of avant-garde artists Vasyl Yermylov, Oleksandr Bohomazov, and Anatol’ Petryts’kyi from the collection of Mystetskyi Arsenal became part of prints on snoods, hats, crossbody bags, and rain covers of the S-cape brand. Accessories will be available for purchase both in Ukraine and abroad, and a 20% from sales of the items from this collection will be transferred to initiatives helping the Ukrainian army.

Anatol’ Petryts’kyi. Sketch for a warrior costume design for the “Nur and Anitra” ballet. Moscow, 1923.

Vasyl Yermylov. Cover of the almanac “Mystetski materiialy avanhardu” (Avant-garde Art Materials). Kharkiv, 1929. Paper, printing.

Oleksandr Bohomazov. Kyiv Landscape. Kyiv, 1910s. Paper, gouache.

An important idea of the S-cape brand founders was thinking about promoting Ukrainian avant-garde art both locally and abroad. After all, works created centuries ago remain relevant today and can inspire people today as well.

The design of products with incorporated elements from works of avant-garde artists in it was developed by S-cape in collaboration with Alla Sorochan, Mystetskyi Arsenal designer: “For me, as a designer at Mystetskyi Arsenal, it was important not to lose works from the museum collection, not to turn them into a set of abstract forms while, at the same time, not to make accessories a banal holder of reproductions. After all, the collection of Mystetskyi Arsenal is unique, but its works are not widely recognizable. It was also important to our team to embody these works in a modern context. Even though the cooperation with colleagues from S-cape was held remotely (the main production location of the brand is in the city of Rivne), we all were focused on a common result and acted in harmony, as one team that has worked together for a long time.”

The complete collection of accessories can be viewed and purchased on the S-cape brand’s website.

S-cape is a brand of bright and technological outerwear for the city, travels, and good mood. It seeks to inspire people to get to know the world despite the weather. The feature of the brand is a raincoat, which folds into a compact pocket, and various accessories, which actually became the basis for collaboration with Mystetskyi Arsenal. The production, including the experimental workshop where the collection was created, is located in the city of Rivne.

Mystetskyi Arsenal is Ukraine’s flagship cultural institution that brings together various arts – from contemporary art, new music, and theater to literature and museum development. The museum collection of Mystetskyi Arsenal includes over 4 000 artifacts and works, including a collection of works by twentieth-century artists, compiled by Ihor Dychenko.