24.05.2023

The exhibition project is jointly organised by the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Modern Art Research Institute, and the M17 Contemporary Art Center. The Art Support Fund provided essential support for the opening of the second stage of the Concentration of the Will project at the M17 CAC.

The exhibition at M17 will unite artworks that reveal different aspects of the consequences of the full-scale russian invasion. The exposition includes video art, photography, an installation of military equipment fragments, objects, graphics, painting, and sculpture.
The project aims to showcase contemporary art that reveals the Ukrainian vision of the will, in other words, the mental forces that help in the liberation struggle of the Ukrainian people against racism.
"The word "the Will" in Ukrainian has several meanings. One is a synonym for freedom, and the other means mental strength that allows one to stay motivated despite any hurdles on the way to the goal. Today, the goal is Ukraine's victory in the war unleashed by russia." ~ Andriy Sydorenko, curator of the Concentration of Will project
"Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has demonstrated an extraordinary concentration of the Will: to resist, to fight, to live, to win. The collective resistance of millions driven by a sense of dignity is made up of individual decisions and actions that are changing the world before our eyes. This project presents a wide range of artistic reflections on the new reality transforming us." ~ Iryna Yatsyk, curator of the Concentration of the Will project
"It is meaningful for us to relaunch the M17 Contemporary Art Center with precisely this exhibition project, which brings together three institutions and reflects a vision of the Will in turbulent historical times. Over the past year, art has been a means of "survival" to a certain extent: it was a therapeutic practice for both artists and art lovers. Artists have played and continue to play an important role in supporting the morale of the nation and uniting people." ~ Natalia Shpytkovska, Director of the M17 CAC
In order to find the most suitable artworks for the project concept, the curators launched an international open call and invited authors of influential artworks that became popular over the course of the full-scale war. As a result, the artworks of more than 70 artists will be exhibited in the venues of three organising institutions: Modern Art Research Institute, M17, and the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine. Each of the three locations will have the unique list of participants and exhibition of artworks.
The exhibition at the M17 Contemporary Art Center will feature works by Eva Andronikidou, Oleksandr Chekmenov, Oksana Chepelyk, Oleksii Chystotin, Illya Chichkan, Sasha Chichkan, Sofia Golubeva, Marianna Goncharenko, Petro Gronsky, Serhiy Gulievych, Angelina Datsiuk, Liudmyla Davydenko, Dmytro Dotsenko, Dmytro Erlich, Serhiy Korniievskyi, Aliona Kuznetsova, Kostiantyn Lapushen, Kateryna Lisova, Anton Logov, Bohdan Lokatyr, Marianna Maslova, Maksym Mazur, Natalia Okhman, Yevhen Pavlov, Tetiana Pavlova, Anastasiia Podervianska, Serhiy Popov, Eduard Potapenkov, Mykhailo Rai, Liudmyla Rashtanova, Vladyslav Ryaboshtan, Volodymyr Shaposhnikov, Mariia Shevchenko, Zakhar Shevchuk, Yuliia Shybirkina, Tiberiy Silvashi, Viacheslav Strannik, Victor Sydorenko, Yuriy Syvyryn, Vasyl Tatarskyi, Nikita Titov, Olesia Trofymenko, Nikita Tsoi, Max Vityk, Albina Yalosa, Vladyslav Yudin, Serhiy Zapadnya, Marharyta Zhurunova, Nikita Zigura.

The Project Concept (in Ukrainian)Read more about the project on the M17 website
Curators: Andriy Sydorenko, Iryna Yatsyk
Project management from the institutions: Andriy Puchkov (NAA of Ukraine), Igor Abramovych (MARI), Natalia Shpytkovska (M17 CAC)
Partners: Art Support Fund, ArtHuss, Front-Art, Utico, UlmaMedia partners: Антиквар, МІТЄЦ, АртКурсив
The opening at the M17 CAC: 1 June at 6:00 p.m.Address: 102-104 V. Antonovycha St., Kyiv, UkraineAdmission is free

The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine (NAA of Ukraine) is a self-administered scientific institution that promotes the preservation and continuation of traditions in the field of art, art history and cultural studies, as well as support for art education and the scientific community of Ukraine. The Academy leads educational and research institutions.
Modern Art Research Institute of the NAA of Ukraine (MARI of the NAAU) is the only research institution in Ukraine that carries out fundamental scientific research in various fields of contemporary art, as well as practical and research studies, aimed at the formation of professional contemporary art and architecture, implementation of new art technologies and practices, the further formation of national culture, preparation and publication of monographs, collections of scientific papers on the main scientific directions of the Institute.
M17 Contemporary Art Center is a cultural institution that functions as an educational and research platform, an exhibition venue for Ukrainian and foreign contemporary art. The activities of the Center are aimed at creating a dialogue space for professional circles and all the representatives of the culture sector as a whole, at study and research of contemporary and related historical cultural processes. M17 supports art experiments, collaborations and international exchanges of experts, artists from various art fields, in order to integrate Ukrainian art into the world context.
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, including professionals, assets and infrastructure, as an important prerequisite for the viability and unity of the Ukrainian nation in the face of Russian invasion, by preserving endangered Ukrainian cultural and artistic assets and promoting Ukrainian culture internationally.