23.01.2024

The opening of the Salon d'Automne was attended by philanthropist and founder of the Earth Aid Society Foundation, Lady Dewi Sukarno, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the French Republic Vadym Omelchenko, President of the Salon d'Automne Gilles Guillaume, President of the NAA of Ukraine, founder of the Modern Art Research Institute of the NAA of Ukraine Victor Sydorenko, Vice President of the NAA of Ukraine, Director General of the National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery" Yuriy Vakulenko, Head of the Western Regional Center of the NAA of Ukraine Mykhailo Bokotey, and other honoured guests.
Launched in 1903, Le Salon d'Automne has given rise to artistic movements and prominent figures in contemporary art, such as Matisse and Guimard, Cézanne and Gauguin. Over the past 100 years, the Salon has witnessed the emergence of the major artistic movements of the century, including Fauvism, Surrealism, Cubism, Abstract Art, New Figurative and Singular Art.

This year, for its 120 anniversary, the annual exhibition featured works by about 1,000 artists from around the world and was attended by more than 30,000 people. The focus was on the Ukrainian exhibition project Light Will Win.
“Culture and art are the fundamental stimuli for defending the state and the means of ensuring Ukraine's spiritual defence capability. Along with weapons, they form a crucial tandem that attests to the uniqueness of Ukraine's place in the world and its ability to withstand external influences and intrusions.We believe that light will win! No global catastrophe or tragedy will break humanity's faith in creative vitality, and art will revive and heal wounds. This idea is the core of the NAA of Ukraine's exhibition project at the Le Salon d’Automne anniversary show in Paris.”Victor Sydorenko, President of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine
“For the Light Will Win project, presented at Parisian Salon d’Automne, we have brought together renowned artists and young artists, who are revealing the truth about the unprecedented violent war. The artists see their mission in continuing to work, to record memory, to render thoughts and hopes, to generate support and strength, and, thus to keep the spirit of Ukrainians alive through art, through light.”Natalia Shpytkovska, Curator of the Light Will Win project
The participants of the project Light Will Win are Andriy Bokotey, Yuriy Vakulenko, Oleksandr Dubovik, Dmytro Kozatskyi, Anatoliy Kryvolap, Kateryna Lisova, Pavlo Makov, Liubomyr Medvid, Anatoliy Melnyk, Serhiy Mykhalchuk, Anastasiia Podervianska, Mykhailo Rai, Sergei Sviatchenko, Victor Sydorenko, Tiberiy Szilvashi, Maryna Skugareva, and Oleg Tistol.
The participation of Ukrainian artists in this year's salon was made possible with the generous support of philanthropist Lady Dewi Sukarno and the Earth Aid Society Foundation.
As part of the Salon d'Automne, on 19 January 2024, an international conference «Bringing Victory Closer: The Artistic Endeavour in Wartime» took place, with the participation of Victor Sydorenko, President of the NAA of Ukraine, Academician of the NAA of Ukraine; Yuriy Vakulenko, Vice President of the NAA of Ukraine, Director General of the National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery", Corresponding Member of the NAA of Ukraine; Mykhailo Bokotey, Head of the Western Regional Center of the NAA of Ukraine, Head of the Department of the Lviv National Academy of Arts, Corresponding Member of the NAA of Ukraine; Natalia Shpytkovska, Advisor to the President of the NAA of Ukraine, PhD in Cultural Studies, curator of the Ukrainian exhibition stand at the Salon d'Automne, as well as Stefan Beiu, Member of the Salon d'Automne Board of Directors, Chairman of the Heritage and Innovation section at Salon d'Automne.
During the conference, each member of the delegation delivered their speeches, and a short film within the documentary project CULTURE VS WAR, created by the representatives of the NAA of Ukraine was presented.

The conference aimed to demonstrate the role of artists and cultural institutions in preserving Ukrainian national identity in the face of russian aggression. Among the questions addressed at the conference: the role of artists and culture in times of war; the importance of supporting artistic institutions during a military conflict; the therapeutic effect of artistic and creative practices; and the need for international recognition and integration of Ukrainian art in the global context.
At the Salon d'Automne, Lady Dewi Sukarno was awarded the highest award of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine - the Order of Arts, First Class - in recognition of her outstanding support of Ukrainian culture. The National Academy of Arts also presented the Salon d'Automne with a Gold Medal on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the Salon's foundation. The award ceremony was attended by the President of the NAA of Ukraine Victor Sydorenko and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the French Republic Vadym Omelchenko.
As part of the visit to Paris, the delegation of the NAA of Ukraine was invited to pay an official visit to the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Negotiations on cooperation between the Académie des Beaux-Arts and the NAA of Ukraine, as well as future joint art events, are in progress.
Special thanks are extended to Andriy Puchkov, Oles Sanin, Serhiy Kireev, Mykhailo Bokotey, Olimpia Cebotari, Natalia Kochergina, and Kadim Tarasov.
Partners: Art Support Fund and Aleksandr Savchuk Foundation.
The concept of the Ukrainian project at the Salon: https://advisory.artcult.org.ua/the-light-will-win
Official message from the President of the NAA of Ukraine: https://advisory.artcult.org.ua/the-light-will-win/#custom-3
Le Salon d'Automne:https://www.salon-automne.com/fr
For additional inquiries, please contact moc.liamg%401anelaoknerailtokContact person: Aliona Kotliarenko________________________________________________________________________
The Salon d'Automne is a non-profit association of artists founded in 1903 and recognised as a public utility in 1920. It aims to encourage and develop the fine arts in all their forms, particularly through exhibitions both in France and abroad. The Salon d'Automne organises a major annual prestige event in Paris, showcasing several hundred works of art in all disciplines.
https://www.salon-automne.com/en

The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine is a self-administered scientific organisation in culture and arts, based on state ownership. The Academy supports the continuation of the glorious traditions of the Ukrainian people in the field of art, the science of art and culture, and art education. Founded in 1996, it has become a prominent institution for the artistic and scientific community of Ukraine.
https://en.academyart.org.ua/

Earth Aid Society was established by Lady Dewi Sukarno in 2005 in the hope that people across the globe will be united by a strong family love beyond race, national borders, language, religion, and history. The organisation aims to support refugees worldwide who have fallen prey to politics and disaster victims, prevent the destruction of the natural environment on Earth, provide support to talented artists, prevent cruelty to animals, and extend a helping hand to the underprivileged.
https://earthaidsociety.org/en

Art Support Fund is an independent, non-profit, charitable and public-benefit foundation initiated by a group of international patrons, contributing to arts and culture and following the aim to help and support the preservation of the cultural heritage of Ukraine. The Fund was established to ensure the sustainable functioning of the Ukrainian cultural sector, as an important prerequisite for the viability of the Ukrainian nation in the face of Russian invasion, by preserving endangered Ukrainian cultural and artistic assets and promoting Ukrainian culture internationally.
https://artsupportfund.org.ua/

The Aleksandr Savchuk Foundation was established in 2014 as a private non-profit organisation that provides support to cancer patients, rewards and encourages leading medical and scientific professionals, promotes innovative prevention projects through a unique combination of knowledge, skills and decisive action, as well as implements art in its healing effect on human health.
https://aleksandr-savchuk-foundation.org/