Published: 24/07/2024
Royal Academy, London until 13 October 2024
‘a small yet blazing act of solidarity’
This Exhibition is moving in several ways, the most obvious being the links with the suffering Ukraine is experiencing now. I loved the colour and vibrancy of the art which seemed to show the spirit of life and resistance emerging from war and suffering. Much of the work was rescued from bombardment in Kyiv in 2022; there are wildly dynamic works born out of war, revolution and Stalin’s purges, by artists including Kazymyr Malevych and Sonia Delaunay. These exemplify Ukraine’s moving spirit of freedom then and now.
Some of the artists are Ukrainian while others went to live there and were specifically associated with Kyiv, including Lissitzky and Alexandra Exter – cubo-futurist, suprematist, constructivist and founder of an influential art studio in Kyiv. They introduced painters to the latest European art movements while their roots were firmly with Ukrainian folk art.
This is the last stop on the Exhibition’s tour. The fear is what the future holds for the pictures if or when they return to Kyiv. ‘Enjoy’ them while you can. For more information, click here.
