elc team
Cyprus has recently witnessed a new artistic residence with a team of Ukrainian artists and curator, organized by VELYCHKO.GALLERY and proudly unveiled its highly anticipated exhibition of contemporary art “What lasts longer than Hope?” in Paphos. This show attracted a significant number of attendees during expositional week and garnered considerable attention on the thought-provoking artworks on display and social issues behind it. This exhibition serves as a platform for artists to share their perspectives on what sustains the human spirit beyond hope and to engage with audiences in a meaningful dialogue about it to inspire change, transformation, and support.
VELYCHKO.GALLERY represents the unit of the well known Ukrainian artists Anna Zvyagintseva, Bohdan Bunchak, Olga Stein, Inga Levi, and the curator Halyna Hleba. Art exhibition “What lasts longer than Hope?” is based on the 2 months of collective discussions about the nature of Hope from the ukrainians perspective and live experience of war during more than two years of full scale invasion and 10 years of war russia against Ukraine. This exhibition and artworks made on residency is the important outcome of the CARV_24 (Cyprus Art Residency Villa) that has been launched every year by VELYCHKO.GALLERY.
“Exhibition “What Lasts Longer than Hope?” combines the experiences of military and civilians, a view of the war in Ukraine and beyond, a search for hope in simple everyday practices, in confession, in belief, in the power of individual and collective action. The continuity of daily practice and documentation of the low of war in the diary of the Double Exposure is the path of the artist Inga Levi. Awareness of the cycle of life where abundance and lack coexist at the same time, and acceptance of oneself as an integral part of it, is in the works of Anna Zvyagintseva. Guilt and a metaphorical entrance to the “spooktacular” forest of self-reproach for the death of a comrade-in-arms in the video essay by artist and veteran of russian-ukrainian war Bohdan Bunchak. And finally, the image of the collective body as the society in the work of Olga Stein creates a pearl of faith out of the experience of defending her people, which combined with a large scale painting with the iconography of Pieta.
Hope in general is the belief that the future is possible and has options for development, that it can be influenced and can be changed from the state in which a person is now. In Ukrainian, the word “hope” literally includes the word “action” – nadiya / diya. With understanding of the meaning of words, their semantic content and the life programs encoded in them makes it much easier to understand what Ukrainians’ resistance to Russian aggression in 2022 and ongoing is based on. This hope has empowered us to act responsibly, to be resilient, and to understand that collective and social change does not happen without individual decisions.
The works of the exhibition provoke dialogue and help viewers to understand the artworks in a deeper way, promoting deeper immersion and intellectual stimulation that leaves a lasting impression on the viewers’ memory. ‘What Lasts Longer Than Hope?’ invited visitors to witness the convergence of different artistic visions, each offering a distinctive experience and narrative.”
— Halyna Hleba, The Curator
art historian| curator| researcher of photography| scholar of memory culture
editor-in-chief of The Wartime Art Archive (run by UMCA/MOCA NGO) CARV_2024 aims to support the artistic development of Ukrainian artists. It celebrates the resilience of the Ukrainian people and their unwavering commitment to the humanistic idea of freedom and independence. The CARV residency is a project of VELYCHKO GALLERY with the support of patron Serge Polivar (SPM), aimed at the development of the artistic environment in Cyprus and acquaintance with Ukrainian art, as well as the involvement of Ukrainian artists in intercultural and international dialogue.
Part of the proceeds is directed to support special initiatives in Ukraine.
Info
Founder and director of CARV and VELYCHKO GALLERY — Viktoriia Velychko
Artists: Anna Zvyagintseva, Bohdan Bunchak, Olga Stein, Inga Levi (Ukraine)
Guest curator of CARV_Spring 2024 — Halyna Hleba (Ukraine)
General partner of the project investment agency “SPM ESTATE” and Serge Polivar
With the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Cyprus and Ambassador Ruslan
Nimchynskyi.
About the gallery:
VELYCHKO.GALLERY is a nomadic format gallery based in Cyprus.
Viktoriia Velychko +357 96 8 555 80
