“America House Kyiv is proud to present Mark Arminski. Selected Works, exhibiting at the America House Kyiv Gallery from October 15. Mark Arminski is a fine art and print artist from Detroit, U.S.A. He is known for his masterful use of color and linear design. Melding 1960s psychedelic art with the grunge aesthetic of the 90s, Arminski became recognized as one of the foremost rock concert poster artists in America. He has created striking graphic images and concert posters for music festivals, emerging local bands and performances from international names such as Iggy Pop, Björk, Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Bowie, King Crimson and many others. ”

“For an artist, a memory of past experiences is not just an full-body reminiscence, but it can serve as their loyal companion in the material world, for this experience is reflected on canvas, as well as in different stages of learning - all depicting the moments that have inspired the artist. But as time goes, this baggage turns into a burden, and an artist needs to rethink it, reform it, or just let it go. Earlier some artists simply burnt their works, others left them in workshops, and still others just threw them away. Polina Scherbyna uses another approach in her project “Eliminated Archive”. She chooses a “palimpsest” technique - a way in which old texts were erased from parchment and replaced with new ones once upon a time - and so do Polina’s old academic works. The process of eradication (washing) becomes a process of creation at the same time, because the final result shows new structures and ornaments on the washed canvas. This way, the story of the evolution of the canvas becomes its theme.”

“Sometimes you can become absorbed in routines; the fast pace of life does not allow you to focus on personal desires or maintain inner harmony. Each work in this exhibition reminds us that it is important to stop at the right moment. In these illustrations, the authors depict the daily life of women, their world of thoughts, and experiences. Behind every metaphorical work, there is a story of a girl who understands her fears, denies stereotypes, and seeks mental clarity and soul searching.”

“America House presents the exhibit “Identity Line” by Ukrainian emerging artist Bozhena Bondarenko. The exhibit displays portrait silhouettes comprised of wire, which are complemented with recorded audio interviews of LGBTQ+ community representatives. Through the interviews you can hear about daily routines, coming out stories, examples of the discrimination members of this community face each day. The exhibit emphasizes the importance of being equal and promotes tolerance among people.”

“In 2018, graphic designer Volodymyr Havrysh, and screenwriter Andrii Benetskyi created the short comic called “Blindman” The comic itself is about a blind person who feels the oscillations of sound waves that come from the inside and diverge through the surface by touching the walls. The comic first appeared as a project for the international comics festival Fumetto 2018 (Lucerne, Switzerland). Havrysh’s and Benetskyi’s work appeared to have been selected by the judges and ended up on a short list as one of the ten finalist projects among the members of the exhibition.”

“The exhibit tells about the experience the overpowering physical and psychological pain that occur after trauma and how to transform such painful experiences into the driver of social change. It reveals to a wider audience the experiences of people with injuries and disabilities from the ATO zone, who are building new societies with their children and family. The exhibition also highlights the problem of social inclusion and lack of the world’s attention to the war in Ukraine.”

“No one knows how many stars there are in space. Our galaxy alone has about 200-400 billion of them. And the stars are far, far away — at a distance of tens of billions of light years from us. The exhibition included a series of photographs from the Carpathian valleys, which open the way to the stars, and part of the collection of Sergei Korolev Museum of Cosmonautics, which will tell about the history of cosmonautics.”

““A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policies, and coercion are fruitless. We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us”, by John Steinbeck, a favorite among many Americans as well as world travelers. Maria Sharlai, the author of “USAdiary” understood this statement only after her two trips to America. Steinbeck’s books taught her to listen and notice insights, thus America became for her a country of discoveries, which she reproduced in her sketches. ”

“A woman can be both gentle and persistent, sentimental and resilient, because she has the right — the right to be herself and to have equal rights and opportunities. The right to be anyone she wants to be, to receive a decent salary, to make decisions, to be an equal part of society. To celebrate American Women’s Equality Day, the exhibition featured distinguished women of today and the past, about their struggles, perseverance and achievement, as well as their contributions to the development of the country. ”

“Photo exhibition “Donbas: Black Gold” by Serhii Korovainyi gived us a glimpse into the lives of those who work in the “Pivdennodonbasska -1” mine which is located near Vugledar city, Donetsk oblast. The exhibition project takes you into the depths of a half a kilometer underground, where the miners are busy working day-to-day. In addition to the artist’s photographs, a documentary video, created via a specialized camera with 360-degrees observation angle, was presented at the exhibition. VR glasses allowed attendees immerse themselves deeply into the mining life. Without any health hazards, you could see through the miner’s eyes - from technological facilities on the surface to the underground tunnels half a meter high.”

“In his photo series, the author tried to show the crossroads between consciousness and impressions. To achieve this effect, he addressed the typical art style of impressionism, where experience transfer prevails over content. The author encouraged viewers to deepen their experience with the photos in order to discover their own feelings through everyday Kyiv landscapes. In this series of photos of “The World of Emotional Photos”, the author personally reflected on his presence in urban environment. In contrast to his photodocumentary practice, where fixation on reality takes precedence, the author as an artist entered into a dialogue with visitors and tried to build a connection between reality and our subconscious feelings. ”

“To congratulate Walt Whitman with his birthday, artists of Aza Nizi Maza studio has addressed him in spring. They started drawing pencil portraits of American poet after Gogol`s 210th anniversary, which studio has celebrated by posters exhibit at Mykola Kolomiets workroom, the tutor and the founder of the studio. Consistently, the poet`s beard got covered with woods, and his head became to look like a cliff in the mountains. Whitman-cloud had a beard made of rain, and Whitman-peasant had one made of wildflowers. He was routinely saying goodbye to his muse and touching the planets with his index finger, knowing they will meet again soon.”

“In her practice, Ukrainian artist Alevtina Kakhidze refers to the garden as to the small-scale form of politics. According to her vision, every gardener is a politician, and despite natural conditions, each of them chooses how to plant, where to plant, fills in and cares for his/her own garden the way he/she finds it right. This very metaphor of gardens and gardeners helps the author talk about global politics using non-violent communication tools. The artist offered visitors to take a look at the flowerbeds from the perspective of a gardener, viewer, ruler, servant, researcher and gifts receiver — these are the roles which she has highlighted within herself as a result of her many years-long experience in gardening.”

“The students of Art.Management.Curation. in Projector decided to explore digitalisation of our world and possibilities of the future through contemporary art. This exhibition is about the vision of the future through the prism of the present, the impact of technology on our reality, the opening of new opportunities in the era of information overload.”

“The exhibit draws on interviews conducted between 2015 and 2019 with civic activists and citizens from various spheres of Ukrainian society. Those included in the research run the gamut from human rights defenders to activists who made the transition to local politics and members of more conservative, patriotic civic organizations. A key component of the project focuses on the idea of reclaiming space in post-revolutionary Ukraine.”

“This exhibit collects experiences of Ukrainian alumni of U.S. universities and government-sponsored programs. The exposition highlights especially impactful projects, that became a driver for social changes and made a difference in Ukraine. Inspired by international education experiences and activities, participants share their projects that tell the personal stories of ordinary citizens, defenders of Ukraine, successful scholars, artists, and public activists.”

“Mariia Proshkovska’s artwork shared personal stories collected from around Ukraine and other countries, visualized the stereotypes formed by societal pressure, and raised relevant questions for today’s conversation on gender issues. Moreover, her exhibit created a friendly and open-minded platform to question and reflect on a variety of different topics: how our inner perception correlates with society’s; how to overcome psychological gender boundaries; how to get rid of the “biological clock” fear; explore if there is any difference in views based on a region or age, etc... The author requires us to slow down, analyze, and reconsider our automatic behavior patterns, personal decision-making process, and conduct a profound analysis of how the gender aspect of human nature has changed over time.”

“Though it is amongst the most beautiful and interesting parts of the country, the American southwest is under-represented in the minds of many outside the U.S. This exhibition exposed the people of Ukraine to a lesser known wonder of the U.S. The landscape of the southwest is breathtaking and unique, and the culture is sharply different from what is considered typically American by most. Through this exhibition, the artist hoped to pique the interest and capture the hearts of the viewers, so that one day they may choose to visit the beautiful place where he grew up.”

“Arts for Human Rights exhibit is the product of a dialogue and collaboration of civil society activists and artists, who within a day, designed and created art projects aimed at drawing attention to the problem of human rights in Ukraine. These works remind us of the challenges existing in our society and call us to reconsider the things that we wrongly take for granted.”

“The exhibition displayed major corruption schemes, as well as methods and approaches being used today around the world to fight corruption. It explained not only how corruption works, but also what is being done nationally and internationally to combat it. The exhibition featured those who are fighting corruption in Ukraine today and offers practical tips for everyone to take a stand against corruption.”

“This exhibition featured a series of abstract paintings dedicated to the courage of Ukrainians. The artwork by Andriy Baranovsky, an ATO veteran and active participant in the Revolution of Dignity, are an emotional reflection of the tempestuous events of recent years. Andriy Baranovsky is a defender of the Motherland, but his vocation and professional interest is art.”

“The “Chic-Modern” exhibition of the young Ukrainian artist Pazza Pennello includes acrylic paintings on canvas, which depict the brands and products that appeared in Ukraine after the fall of the Iron Curtain. These American and European goods became valuable and rare things in post-Soviet societies. “Chic-modern” is a collocation which was very popular in the USSR and was used to name luxury, expensive, rare, fancy, and stylish goods. Through the prism of art, we can look at how branding and marketing affect the different cultures and lives of people in the post-industrial economy. The artist shows scarce goods, which reveal the values of consumers, producers and the culture itself in which they live.”

“In the “Nature vs. Architecture” multimedia exhibit, young Ukrainian artist Yulia Beliaeva brings the topic of city life and natural life into public discourse. She uses gallery walls as canvas and creates virtual 3D projections that imitate water and natural landscapes. The visitor can explore and manipulate nature by interacting with the exhibit. Photos of the city landscapes throughout serve as reminders that the natural and architectural environment exist simultaneously.”

“Ukrainian Art Group ArtZebs, with the participation of Vladimir Gulich, Anastasia Loiko and VJ Yarkus in the “Plastic Ocean” project comprehends how far humanity has gone into plastic usage, such a convenient, easy, flexible and cheap material. The artists bring into public discourse the subject of what humanity, which can not give up on plastic, should do in order to avoid the possibility of a large-scale environmental disaster. The exhibition includes interactive plastic installations and sculptures, oil paintings and media art.”

“The “Discernment” exhibit by young American multimedia artist Bayete Ross Smith scrutinizes preconceived notions and stereotypes, explores identity problems and challenges of intercultural communication. Artworks analyze public relations and motivate us to reflect on how we perceive the world around us.”

“The goal of the exhibit is to join the efforts of World Aids Day, combat discrimination and overcome public stereotypes about HIV-positive people, connect people through art to reduce stigma and discrimination, and show support to and solidarity with people living with HIV in Ukraine. Using various media and artistic approaches, artists visualize the consequences of the biased attitude of Ukrainian society towards HIV-positive people. The works urge us to rethink the perception of HIV-infected people, overcome stereotypes, and be positively tolerant.”

“The Kill Bill project points out the overflowing problem of advertising in our lives. During her travels for the past year and a half, the artist has documented 3x6m billboards destroyed by time and nature. The natural death of advertising on billboards is ironic, since it is impossible to remove the advertisements deliberately. While the title of this project shares its name with the famous movie “Kill Bill,” in this case “bill” is a reduction from “billboard,” as in “Kill the Billboard.””

“Propaganda methods such as “repetition,” “labeling,” and “demonizing the enemy” have been used for centuries to cause fear and uncertainty, while at the same time offering fail-safe ways to get rid of such emotions. Is it possible to effectively counteract manipulative influences? Working with elements of television noise, “The Noise” by Olesia Trofimenko and Iaroslav Kolomiichuk uncovers the mechanisms of propaganda influences and makes their true meanings visible to the viewer.”

“The “Discover America” solo photo exhibition by renowned Ukrainian photographer Sergiy Kadulin is an awe-inspiring visual odyssey through many of the world’s greatest treasures located on the territory of the United States of America. This exhibition showcases just a small part (20 images) of a larger collection he created during his travels to America from 2012 through 2016. Images in the exhibit include architectural and urban landscapes of New York, San-Francisco, Las-Vegas, Los-Angeles, Portland, and various locations of the West, such as National Parks, State Parks, canyons, wilderness areas and the Pacific coast.”