"Atelier of Dreams": Ukrainian House opens exhibition dedicated to Ukrainian children and their aspirations during the war
Kyiv • UNN
The Atelier of Dreams exhibition dedicated to the resilience of Ukrainian children during the war has opened at the Ukrainian House National Center, featuring artworks by children expressing their feelings and emotions through creativity.
An exhibition dedicated to the dreams, will to live and resilience of Ukrainian children during the war has opened at the National Center "Ukrainian House". UNN told about the meaning of the exhibition and what can be seen at the exhibition, citing the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy.
We, as adults, must do everything we can to ensure that every child can continue their education and development right now. Children need to feel needed and know that hard times are passing, and victory and goodness will come to their lives.
Details
According to the organizers themselves, the metaphor that could be used to describe today's generation of children is a flower breaking through the asphalt.
So the central installation of the exhibition was the work of architect and artist Ksenia Bilyk called "The Color of Childhood". The craftsmen hand-carved flowers based on children's images and ended up with 12,000 figures stretching over 25 meters of the installation. Anyone can take one of the flowers for themselves, but instead make a new one and attach it to the installation. In this way, people who do not know each other will be able to make a symbolic exchange, as they are united by the common experience of war. The Ministry explained that this work symbolizes Dreams, Freedom and the Will to Live.
The head of the Ministry of Culture noted that the purpose of the exhibition is to emphasize that among all those who are suffering from the war today, children are the most vulnerable part of Ukrainians. They do not always understand what is happening around them, but they definitely hear explosions, worry about their loved ones, and feel fear. It is through art that they can convey these feelings.
It has been estimated that over the past two years, children in the frontline regions have spent up to 5,000 hours in basements and shelters. This is equivalent to six months underground. In addition, as of September 2023, only about half of Ukrainian schools were able to organize full-time education. And in the east and south of the country, only 15% of children attend classes, while the rest are forced to study online.
The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy noted that growing up in war has a significant impact on mental health. According to UNICEF estimates, in 2023, 1.5 million children are at risk of developing depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental health problems.
It is worth remembering that in a few years these children will become adults on whom the future of Ukraine will depend. Every day they demonstrate their inner strength by supporting their families, peers and communities. The will of children is the source of change in the country, and they will rebuild Ukraine and turn their dreams into reality. That is why the well-being of children and the observance of their rights is one of the priorities today.
The cultural ministry noted that many children sublimate their experience of war and find solace in creativity: learning to sing, dance, paint, etc. On the eve of the opening of this exhibition, more than 150 children collaborated with well-known Ukrainian artists - Masha Reva, Ksenia Bilyk, Yuriy Bolsa, Anton Logovyi - under the curation of Katya Taylor, founder of the Port of Culture NGO. Their artworks, which reflect their experiences of growing up during the war, were created at workshops at UNICEF's "Jointly" children's outlets in Kharkiv, Kyiv, Dnipro, and Odesa, and are now on display at the Ukrainian House.
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Masha Reva's installation was created together with children during workshops held in Kharkiv and Dnipro. It combines abstract shapes and colors that visually interpret children's emotions and thoughts, giving shape to their dreams and inner experiences. The atrium is also complemented by cubes with quotes from children. If you combine the cubes together, you can see the words in which all the stories sound at the same time.
The Small Hall is dedicated to the theme of sustainability. More than 100 works of visual art are presented here. The main themes of the artworks are childhood, family and home as a safe space.
The big hall presents a creative program from the NGO "Cultural Platform of Zakarpattia". There will be master classes where children will be able to play musical instruments, explore the world around them through sound, express their emotions with a camera, develop confidence through acting exercises, join jam sessions of young jazz performers, and immerse themselves in Ukrainian pop art. The exhibition will feature art workshops by choreographer Anatoliy Sachivko, designer Dani Shulipa, TONKA band, and the FUSION jazz community as part of the creative program by the Cultural Platform of Zakarpattia NGO.
Corridor. One of the zones of the Interactions Hall is a space where children's drawings are transformed into physical objects. In 2022, refugee children from Kramatorsk attended a therapeutic workshop where they created their unusual works - unrealistic animals.
"Atelier of Dreams" is an exhibition created by well-known artists Masha Reva, Ksenia Bilyk, Yuriy Bolsa, Anton Logov together with children in UNICEF's "Spilnichok" in different cities of Ukraine. They were brought together in a common space by Katia Taylor, curator and founder of the Port of Culture NGO. It also features artworks by children and young people from 50 communities from the NGO Cultural Platform of Zakarpattia.
For reference
It is noted that this exhibition will run until March 3, daily from 11:00 to 19:00. Entrance to all Atelier of Dreams events is free. Schedule and registration: here.
