For the fourth time FINE ART UKRAINE 2013 will traditionally demonstrate the wide spectrum of contemporary visual arts – painting, graphics, sculpture, and photography, presenting special projects and exhibitions by leading local galleries as well a broad educational programme.
The main project will consist of the exhibition Match-point 88: a moment beforethe new life. The last collection of Soviet era. From the archives of the Exhibitions Directorate of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine.
The year 1988 was extremely abundant in a variety of events: from the visit of U.S. President Ronald Reagan to the USSR – to the real hysteria about mass hypnosis sessions of Anatolyi Kashpirovskyi, from the start of the Soviet troops withdrawal from Afghanistan – to Soviet viewers’ first encounter with Slave Isaura, from the earthquake in Armenia – to the rise of Laskovyi May band, from the first flight of the world’s largest aircraft AN-225 “Mriya” constructed in Kyiv – to the first mass anti-Soviet rally in the Ukrainian capital. It was the year of Perestroika economic phase launch, the year when jamming of “enemy voices” – “Freedom” and “Free Europe” radio – was stopped, the year of “Igla” (The Needle), “Malen’kaya Vera” (Little Vera) and The Red Heat films. The world was on the verge of change, but no one knew that the abyss would open underfoot tomorrow.
In 1988, as a result of the nationwide, and eventually the all-union exhibition-contest World. Events. Human, one of the last large purchases of works of art for the funds of the Union of Artists in the Soviet era was made. Thus, a unique collection of paintings, sculptures and graphics was formed, showing one of the most interesting moments of the history of Ukrainian art – the departure from the Soviet artistic paradigms, statutory canons and regulatory aesthetics, as well as the first attempt of formally permitted creative experiments: the first time without social realism. The canvases show landscapes, still lives and genre scenes filled with lyricism and artists’ personal experiences.
The special project presents works of both honored and award-winning artists and artists who, in 1988, just started to state their talent. Among the authors are Tetiana Yablonska, Victor Ryzhykh, Galyna Neledva, Tiberiy Szilvasi, Oleksandr Roitburd, Marko Heiko, Kostyantyn Reunov, Serhii Zhyvotkov, Dmytro Fischenko and others.
The project will also present a parallel documentary photo exhibition and a selection of videos telling the story of 1988’s events, so that viewers can see and feel the historical, political and social context, which gave birth to works shown in the exhibition.
The third part of Match-point 88 is an interactive exhibition of personal photographs, letters and memoires of 1988, in which famous artists and public figures visiting FINE ART UKRAINE forum will share their stories. Throughout the exhibition all visitors are able to join them with their own photographs made in 1988.
Match-point 88 project will contain a series of meetings with prominent artists and art historians, who will tell about the events of 1988 and Perestroika time in general.
