Vasyl Tkachenko
Vasyl Tkachenko was born in 1995 Mariupol, Ukraine. Currently lives between Kyiv and Lviv. In his artistic practice, Vasyl explores themes of memory and identity through the mediums of painting, film, music, and photography. He is a participant of cinemovement and NGO Freefilmers, and has directed films Metarobota 25 (2019), Treasure 90 (2020), and Haraltida - In the Yard (2023). His music projects include Serviz Propav (in collaboration with the artist Oksana Kazmina), Khayt (in collaboration with Sashko Protyah and Drake), and Arborglyphs of Mariupol. Among his recent exhibitions are How are You?, National Center Ukrainian House, Kyiv, Ukraine (2023), near/far, Promocyjna Gallery, Warsaw, Poland (2023), Common Ground, Villa Mautner-Jaeger, Vienna, Austria (2023), and others.
19.07.2023
2023,
Oil on paper
Vasyl Tkachenko is creating the Untitled series while being in Lviv, a relatively safe city during full-scale war. All artist’s works reflect his memories of the war and impressions he got from conversations with friends and family or watching the news. His large-format paintings are mainly self-portraits. They attempt to depict the war through capturing personal and mediated experiences. Vasyl reflects on his absence during dramatic events, particularly in his native Mariupol. The artist independently reconstructs scenes from real life, using descriptions and documentation, thus transforming himself into a witness to the events of the war. The work presented at the exhibition is based on an old photograph. In it, the artist rescues his dog that has fallen into a pond. This story takes on a new meaning for Vasyl when he sees photos of the flooded areas of the Kherson region after the Russians blew up the Kakhovka Reservoir Dam. The artist redraws his own shot, changing his memories and turning them into disturbing predictions of a tragic future.
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October 8–November 12
Where Are We Now, After All Those Endlessly Repeated Words?
Curated by Petro Ryaska, Daria Shevtsova
