Ukrainian Art during Miami Art Week

MiamiArt Week through the time has shown the most important topics and highlighted them for the whole world.

We visited all events across Miami Art week to find out how the Ukrainian topic has been presented in the world of art, design and fashion.

As always the city is overrun with celebrities, collectors, critics, gallerists, artists, creative people but this year was added by the web3 gateway event which has left the fingerprint in the art Basel history.

Passing by

Art Basel in (Convention Center)

The most intense and interesting program, which this year, besides all the stands and art talks, included Tezos - a web3 new space with its own creators and collectors.

As usual Larry Gagosyan, David Zwirner, Victoria Miro, as well as other prominent gallerists play first fiddle for the upcoming year.

Nova Galerie Jerome Poggi displayed an artwork by Nikita Kadan, a Ukrainian artist.

Language as a form of protection is also addressed in other untitled series of drawings. Here, the words ДЕТИ ('CHILDREN') or ЛЮДИ ('РEOPLE') are drawn over a cloudy sky or next to a gaping black sun. The use of 'CHILDREN' draws back to a tragic event, which happened in March in the city of Mariupol. It was written in russian, in big letters, and twice next to the building of the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theatre in Mariupol, so as to be seen from the sky: this was an attempt to protect civilians, mostly women and children, who were hiding there from shelling. However, it did not help to prevent russian bombing: the theater was destroyed, 300 to 600 people died, and the whole city itself was razed by the russian warfare at the beginning of the invasion. ЛЮДИ, in the works by Nikita Kadan, appears between the sky, transformed by the war into a source of destruction, and the earth inhabited by people. One writes this word in the same way in Ukrainian and russian, but they are pronounced differently. Through this overlap, the artist addresses the myth of fraternity between Ukrainians and russians, which however doesn't protect people from death. According to the artist, Putin's racism is unfolding today in a paradoxical way: Ukrainians are seen as brothers, but spoiled ones, similar but not the same, and "if your right hand entices you to sin, let it go limp and useless! For you're better off losing a part of your body than to have it all thrown into hell" (Matthew 5:30s)."

«russia is a terrorist state»

There are Ukrainians who stand silently in the front doors of Art Basel in T-shots to express the outrage the Ukrainians feel towards russia, which continues its war crimes against Ukraine. The genocide of the Ukrainian people continues, from the Baturyn tragedy in 1708 until today. russia is a terrorist state and this is a proven fact. Since February 24, 2022, it is leading a full-scale war against the independent Ukraine. It is impossible to describe the despair all felt that morning. The project comes as an initiative of The Fashion Design Department of Lviv National Academy of Arts and its curator Oleg Kulyk knew we had to do something to protect the country by, of course, creative ways.

Art Miami + Context Miami

After the first step in Waltman Ortega fine art gallery the big artwork with the familiar portrait is looking at viewers.

Victor Sidorenko is one of the most recognised Ukrainian artists with main topic he has been working on for many years - «man in pants». A half-dressed man in an underwear was worn by all strata of Ukrainian society for almost a century. The artist has been recovering of national self-determination, Ukraine from its Soviet past, longing to erase that past from its collective memory. Victor’s character embodies the "drama of impersonality", the "mass man", the "one of many", the community of destiny that, one way or another, united generations of the 20th century, who lived through two world wars, and every day fighting for the Ukrainian liberation.

That is how this character has evolved into an extremely meaningful image that acquires additional senses with every new context of its consideration.

Photo

Sydorenko (Ukrainian. b. 1953) Untitled, "Reflection into the Unknown" series, 2012 Oil on canvas 75x75 in

with his artworks from the series of men in pants

It’s practically impossible to overestimate the importance of these artworks which combine the past and the present while hoping for a brighter and happier future bringing freedom and peace.

Mark Borghi NY based gallery represents Andres Valencia, a young contemporary artist with limited edition print «Invasion of Ukraine» with collaboration of Klitschko Foundation, while the portion of the sale will be forwarded to benefit Ukraine.

The paintings and Artistic collage on jacket by Ola Rondiak presented the power of women - John William Gallery from Boca Raton .

In Context pavilion an artist from Lviv Sergi Zader showcase shiny animals sculptures decorated by Svarowsky crystals.

In the middle of the street in front of CONTEXT MIAMI ENTRANCE at the center of the exhibit is a bullet ridden children's slide from a once peaceful residential area in Irpin, Ukraine.

THERE IS NO TIME LEFT TO SIT BY....On February 27th 2022, Irpin endured an invasion and occupation by russian forces. Over the course of 1 month and 1 day, 290 civilians and 50 soldiers were killed. With the approval from the Ukraine authorities, Nantucket Cares, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, brought the slide to the US to raise awareness about the atrocities still happening in Ukraine. Cheryl Fudge's art and poetry tells their story. The small wooden children's chairs were created by Susan Jositas and Chichi Villaloz. Right to left on the exhibit, the days before, during and after the invasion, with hopes for a bright future

The Scope and Untitled

Just across the road from THE BIG FAIRs

organizers are putting on their largest Miami fair to date, with more than 283 galleries from 38 countries and territories, Ukrainian Voloshyn gallery exhibited artists Lesia Khomenko, Nikita Kadan, Maria Sulymenko and Mykola Ridnyi.

At NADA (booth 7.12), Sapar Gallery from NY presented works by Zinaida and Iryna Maksymova . Included in the presentation are the works from a project titled "Without Women" that is a focus of Zinaida's solo pavilion, a collateral event of the Venice Biennale 2022. Both artists have returned to Ukraine and are currently working in Kiev and Lviv, often without electricity, heating and water.

Spectrum Miami + Red Dot Miami (Wynwood)

THE VENUE

Taking place at the iconic Mana Wynwood in the heart of the thriving Wynwood Arts District and running alongside sister fair Red Dot Miami, Spectrum offers a unique opportunity to connect with Ukrainian galleries and artists this year.

Rudenko Art Pro presented a Ukrainian artist Edward Belsky, whose canvases combine features of expressionism and Ukrainian icons, in his works you can catch the humble look of Madonna.

Next to large canvases and etchings stood bronze sculptures by the Ukrainian artist Mike Renard, which personified the ambiguity of values.

Multidisciplinary artist Les Panchyshyn brought to Miami his bright color pallet for different ways to express himself. Best traditions of the Lviv State College of Decorative and Applied Arts are named after Ivan Trush and his famous teacher Taras Levkiv.

The South Ukrainian school represented by artists Anton Ostrometsky graduated from Grekov Odessa College of Art, Oksana Khamnayev and Juliya Grzmehle from Mykolaiv, who is currently living in Germany.

Aqua Art MIAMI at the Aqua Hotel

This energetic fair has become the destination for influential collectors and art professionals, many of whom migrate from Aqua’s sister fairs, Art Miami and CONTEXT conveniently nestled between the Venetian Causeway and the MacArthur Causeways, and Art Basel Miami Beach, which is located just a few blocks away.

A completely unique art fair, consistently staying true to its signature - relaxed yet energetic vibe respected. On the ground floor Black & White - a conceptual project Icons on Ammunition Boxes by Sonia Atlantova and Olexander Klimenko.

Since 2015, Ukrainian artists Sonia Atlantova and Olexander Klimenko have been using wooden fragments from ammunition boxes abandoned by russian soldiers on the battle fields in Ukraine to paint icons and donating all sale proceeds to mobile hospitals that provide urgent medical care to wounded Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. Since russia began its invasion of Ukraine in late February, 2022, their work remains more relevant than ever.

Icons on Ammunition Boxes transform the military rubbish smelling of death into life-affirming art. As silent witnesses of war they become symbols of life overcoming horrors of war. They epitomize how violence and pain can be transformed into peace and consolation; they bring hope for peace and justice to the country torn by war and become the important source of financial support to several mobile field hospitals to make such transformation possible.

Sonia Atlantova and Olexander Klimenko

Art in the private exhibition room, which is open in the beautiful courtyard of the South Beach hotel - Kedria Art represents the sculptures by Oleg Kedria and Mykola Khodorkovsky (1969, Ukraine - 2022, USA).

And of course The Gateway NFT NOW was really interesting and informative for all purposes as an art historian, and developing the knowledge of new era of art and techniques perspectives.

Kedria Arts

Meetings and panels and online

Christie’s 3.0 NFT auction top lot Daniel Krivoruchko “Next wave” with Pace Gallery and Snark.art

A new name and a new collection by Anita Murnieks (@anitamurnieks ) - a founder of digital sustainable luxury fashion brand and her first collection is a non-profit one dedicated to raise funds for Ukraine.

I would like to appreciate all artists, Domingo Zapata Jordi Molla, and galleries who rise their voice for unfair victims of horrible wars. All of them made the Blue and Yellow the colors of 2022 as symbols of Freedom .

This is last but not least - two artworks on target paper from IQTargets Art movement by Andrii (ABHINAVA) Chernovil creatively fixed on the adidas light bag packs which have been shown over all events and galleries from the very beginning of the Art week. It is a symbol of migration of many Ukrainians who had to take only the most necessary things with them but still staying a strong and powerful nation.

We want to appreciate all the Ukrainian artists presented during the ArtBasel but not named in this article.