Shattered Frames: War and Memory
The exhibition Avert Your Eyes, presented by Voloshyn Gallery in New York and curated by Lilia Kudelia alongside Maksym and Julia Voloshyn, transcends the boundaries of conventional art showcases. Hosted at The Slip—a space known for fostering cultural and artistic dialogue on pressing global issues—the exhibition boldly examines the conflicts that shape our societies and the narratives that perpetuate them. Featuring works by artists from war-affected regions such as Ukraine, Bosnia, and South Korea, it interrogates the intersections of memory, technology, and morality in a world where the boundaries between peace and conflict are increasingly blurred.
The war in Ukraine is not simply a contemporary crisis; it represents the culmination of decades of geopolitical tension, cultural struggles, and economic ambitions. Since the dissolution of the USSR, Ukraine has stood at the crossroads of competing interests—Russia’s aspirations to reclaim influence and the West’s push to integrate Ukraine into a European framework. These tensions came to a head with the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and erupted into full-scale invasion in 2022, unleashing a humanitarian catastrophe. At the heart of this war lies a battle over identity, sovereignty, and cultural heritage—a clash of narratives that reverberates far beyond the battlefield.
Through its selection of works, the exhibition highlights Ukraine’s unwavering resistance, using art as a medium of protest and resilience. Minouk Lim’s The Possibility of the Half (2012-2019) probes the ways in which media shapes collective memory, echoing the narrative manipulation that surrounds the conflict in Ukraine. Stanislava Pinchuk’s The Theater of War (2024) draws an evocative connection between Homer’s Iliad and contemporary military drills in Ukraine, underscoring that war is waged not only on physical battlefields but also within the realm of cultural memory.
Technology’s role in reshaping the experience of war is central to the exhibition’s narrative. Lesia Khomenko’s I’m a Bullet (2024) and Oleksiy Sai’s Bombed series (2024) confront viewers with the stark realities of technological warfare. Khomenko’s use of drone imagery to document ravaged landscapes and Sai’s mutilated aluminum panels serve as visceral reminders of war’s physical and psychological toll. These works invite viewers to consider the detachment enabled by technology and its implications for understanding and witnessing conflict.
Symbolism further enriches the exhibition’s exploration of history and violence. Nikita Kadan’s The Trash Bag Character(2024) merges discarded materials with historical imagery to evoke centuries of imperialist aggression, from Mongol invasions to modern-day warfare. This piece underscores the cyclical nature of conquest and destruction, leaving behind legacies of trauma that persist across generations.
The exhibition also delves into collective trauma and the role of memory in processing the aftermath of war. Sally Warren’s monoprints Maidan 1 and 3 (2023) translate digital images of the Maidan revolution into physical artworks through labor-intensive methods, embodying the tension between ephemeral and tangible representations of history. K. Yoland’s On the Map (2023) reimagines military maps as intricate carpets, creating spaces for reflection on the physical and metaphorical landscapes of conflict.
Avert Your Eyes is more than an exhibition—it is a call to action. Voloshyn Gallery’s unwavering commitment to amplifying Ukrainian voices and addressing the injustices of war reaffirms the power of art as a vehicle for change. This exhibition challenges its audience to confront the harsh realities of our world and to take a stand. When faced with human suffering and the devastation of war, turning away is not an option.
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