“Focus Ukraine: Art in A Time of Turmoil”

Maria Lanko, Curator and culture producer. Co-founder of The Naked Room, Kyiv. Co-curator of the Ukrainian Pavilion, 59th Venice Biennale

In conversation with Sarah Douglas, Editor in Chief, ARTnews

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, there have been many reactions of the cultural sector. A great number of institutions -like the Venice Biennale- have responded to the Russian invasion by cutting ties and cancelling the country’s participation in international shows and events. After a few weeks of great uncertainty, the curators of the Ukrainian Pavilion announced they intend to participate to the Venice Biennale, having managed to evacuate fragments of the artworks from Kiev. “When the sheer right to existence for our culture is challenged by Russia”, they commented,”it is crucial to demonstrate our achievements to the world.” Bringing together curator Maria Lanko and Sarah Douglas, this conversation will try to explore what role art and culture should have in times of turmoil.