Exhibition Existentialism: Ukrainian Art on Freedom, Fear and Human Existence
The exhibition Existentialism, showcasing contemporary Ukrainian art, will take place in the Mikkel Museum in Tallinn from 9 to 11 May 2025, as a part of the Ukrainian Art Festival UKU.
Existentialism is an artistic space where Ukrainian artists from different regions of the country explore fundamental questions of human existence through painting: What does it mean to be human? How do we balance our desire for freedom with the fear it invokes? What meaning do we assign to our lives amid instability, war and loss?
The exhibition includes 50 artworks from 22 Ukrainian artists, including several important and internationally well-known masters, as well as very young creators who started their artistic careers in the difficult situation of war. Thirty-two artworks will be presented in the Mikkel Museum and 18 works will be showcased only during the auction in the Kadriorg Art Museum.
The exhibition’s philosophical foundation lies in Erich Fromm’s ideas, particularly his work “Escape from Freedom”. The featured artworks delve into themes of existential loneliness, social pressure, the search for self and inner harmony. These pieces reflect personal experiences and invite viewers into a space of introspective dialogue.
Artworks displayed
Gallery
Public programme on Saturday, 10 May:
1 pm “Slow Art” tour in Estonian
2 pm and 4 pm Curator’s tours in English
The title work of the exhibition, the painting In the Emptiness of Identity (2024) by the famous Ukrainian artist, curator and art theorist Victor Sydorenko, symbolically expresses the heart of the exhibition. Sydorenko has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions. He is the founder of the Modern Art Research Institute of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine. In 2003, he represented Ukraine at the 50th Venice Biennale with his solo project Milestones of Time. In 2007, he served as a co-curator of the Ukrainian Pavilion at the 52nd Biennale, and in 2011 and 2013 he was the commissioner for the 54th and 55th editions, respectively. Sydorenko’s artistic practice explores themes of human identity, historical memory and the individual’s relationship with society.
The exhibition was created by the team of the international art project “We and the World”, implemented by the Kozytskyi Charity Foundation in 2022. This initiative was launched in response to the full-scale Russian invasion, with the goal of displaying true images of Ukrainian culture on the international stage, while raising funds for critically important needs, such as prosthetics for individuals injured by the war and educational scholarships for displaced children pursuing creative professions at universities.
Since its inception, the project has held over 50 exhibitions in 17 countries: the United States, United Kingdom, France, Israel, Italy, Switzerland, Australia and others.
Curatorial Team:
Khrystyna Berehovska, PhD: main curator of the exhibition, Creative Director of the Kozytskyi Charity Foundation, and Director of the ZAG Gallery
Stefaniia Andrusiak, Dariia Prokopiv and Klaudia Żbikowska: co-curators of the “We and the World” project
The exhibition has been co-organised by the Ukrainian Embassy in Tallinn.
Full programme of the Ukrainian Art Festival UKU: ukufest.ee
Website of the Kozytskyi Charity Foundation: https://bfk.org.ua
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weandworld.bfk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weandworld.bfk