Contest of art projects dedicated to understanding the war in Ukraine with a focus on the interaction between Ukraine and the EU

26 May – 20 June The EU Delegation in Ukraine in partnership with the Lavra Kyiv City Art Gallery are holding a contest of art projects dedicated to understanding the Russian war against Ukraine from 2014 until now with a focus on the interaction between Ukraine and the EU as a part of the “Together, We Preserve. Together, We Create” campaign.

Goal of the contest: to promote creative expression and discussion of the topic of the war through artistic perspective, and to show the role of the EU in supporting and restoring Ukrainian culture, especially modern art.

Main stages of the contest:

26 May – 20 June 2023: Open call for young Ukrainian curators or artists, who discuss the war in Ukraine from 2014 and until now in their creative searches, and focus on the interaction between Ukraine and the EU. Creative projects and works can analyse political, social, cultural or economic dimension of this interaction.

20 June – June 27 2023: the jury of the contest selects the winning projects or works. The selected projects and works will be featured in the exhibition at the Lavra Gallery on 8 July 2023 and included in the digital catalogue of the contest winners.

08 July 2023: The exhibition of the winning projects or works at the Lavra Gallery as a part of the Cultural Mosaic of Ukraine event organized by the EU Delegation in Ukraine.

Formats. The contest can accept the following formats of artistic expression: art, sculpture, installation and graphics with consideration of the possibilities of exhibition premises of the Lavra Art Gallery. Participants can choose the form of expression that communicates their concept and idea the best.

The contest creates a platform for active discussion of the topic of the war in Ukraine and EU’s support for Ukraine in the sphere of preserving cultural heritage and development of modern culture, which will include public discussions, seminars and open meetings with curators with discussions of the topics covered in their art projects. This approach will promote creation of an important dialog and exchange of ideas between artists, audience, experts and the public.

The contest will therefore provide an opportunity for curators and artists to express their thoughts and feelings about the war in Ukraine and its impact on the interaction between Ukraine and the EU. It will also contribute to deepening of the understanding of these complex issues through an artistic view and forming of a cultural dialogue.

We ask to send projects in the format of pdf presentations, which will include the concept of the project, project title, the list of artists, and examples of works by 20 June 2023 to this address: info.lavra.art.gallery@gmail.com. The Subject of the letter should be as follows: EU Contest of Art Projects.

Background information

In March 2023, the EU Delegation in Ukraine launched a communication campaign for EU’s support of Ukrainian culture and art during the war – as an extension of the previous national campaign “Together, We are Europe” #TogetherWeAreEurope.

The company comprises two strands: #TogetherWePreserve and #TogetherWeCreate. The first strand of the new campaign – #TogetherWePreserve – focuses on the preservation of Ukraine’s unique tangible cultural heritage, such as architecture, museums, monuments, ancient churches, collections, archives, as well as intangible assets, i.e., traditions, folklore, and cultural memory.

The second strand – #TogetherWeCreate – is dedicated to EU support to Ukrainian artists, creatives and creative industries. Thanks to grants, scholarships, mobility programs and residencies, they can continue their professional activities, improve their skills, gain new experience, network, and grow Ukraine’s contemporary culture.Lavra Art Gallery is a modern art space in the capital of Ukraine hosting exhibitions, premieres of theatre plays, modern art festivals, movie screenings, modern art presentations, concerts of world and Ukrainian stars of musical avant-garde, fashion shows, and educational events.