Donetsk: Artifacts
2 August 2012 — 9 September 2012
The new exhibition at Medpunkt proceeds in a manner of an archeological inquiry. Sieving through the layers of by-gone history we detect artefacts – material remains that testify to modes of cultural existence. Revealing Donetsk's vibrant and heterogenous past it becomes clear that any city, however large or small, ancient or newly-emerged, embodies a huge social organism that escapes precise and brief definitions.
The artefacts that we bring to light can be described by multiple terms: geographic or economic, social or political. They can direct our conversations to the domain of the city's history or architecture, to the city-dwellers and their moments of pride or trouble, grief or tranquility – but every conversation will ineluctably remain incomplete and inexhaustible. One can talk about the city endlessly as one can talk about a lover whose world always appears enigmatic in spite or, perhaps, as a result of great intimate proximity.
The exhibition aims to demonstrate a kaleidoscope of testimonies to the city's everyday existence rather than to present its all-encompassing image. Archival photographs, postwar engravings, socialist era paintings, maps and tourist albums serve as various starting points for conversations about the city. What is the emotional coloring of these conversations? Do they speak of praise or critique? Do they create new mythologies or shatter the old ones? The viewers are invited to participate in these conversations started by the artists.
The exhibition includes works by Vladimir Bauer, Pavel Makov, Roman Minin, Vasiliy Mironenko, Oleg Kovalev, Yuriy Komendant, Arsen Savadov, V. Semivolos, GrigoriyTyshkevich, Vladimir Horenko, as well as archival photographs and photo albums.
Curator: Olena Chervonik