This programme is part of the event Europe’s Finest Hours. Please visit the main page to reserve your spot for this programme.
“CULTURE VS WAR” is an artistic study about Ukrainian artists who defend their country and create new meanings of Ukrainian culture. The CULTURE VS WAR project represents the stories of creators who retain the ability to feel and act bravely despite all the horrors of war.
Artists have protected and preserved Ukrainian culture for centuries, and since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, they stand side by side with all citizens. In this double bill, we will take a closer at the portraits of Ukrainian writer Serhiy Zhadan (16 min) and Ukrainian cinematographer Serhiy Mykhalchuk (11 min), followed by a discussion about culture during wartime. Ukrainian film producer Nadiia Zaionchkovska, photographer Anton Shebetko, and conceptual artist Kateryna Snizhko will participate in a debate.
About the speakers
Anton Shebetko (he/him) is a Ukrainian artist, photographer, curator, and writer from Kyiv who currently lives in Amsterdam. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gerrit Rietveld Academie. His works focus on the issues facing the LGBTQ+ community in Ukraine, themes of memory, loss of identity, multiplicity of history, and the role that photography and archival materials can play in revealing these stories.
Nadiia Zaionchkovska is international content licensing, production and business development executive with a two-decade career in both Ukrainian and international film and series markets, Producer of the Ukrainian film “Felix Austria” directed by Khrystyna Sivolap based on the best-selling novel of the same title by Sophia Andrukhovych. Currently, Chief of Content in Green Light Films, Ukrainian film distribution company. Advocate of Ukrainian films’ theatrical releases in the Netherlands. Based in Amsterdam.
Kateryna Snizhko (UA/NL) is a conceptual artist and researcher. The exploration of the essence of artwork, the delicate nature of artistic practice, and the multifaceted potential of failure have become an integral part of her artistic toolkit. In her recent research, she critically examines the “negative space” of an artwork and the behaviors of artists, addressing desires for mastery and dominance. Over the past 8 years, her installations and publications have been featured in numerous exhibitions in The Netherlands, Japan, Ukraine, Austria, Spain, and the Czech Republic, including institutions such as the Nederlands Fotomuseum and Museum De Fundatie, Zwolle. Snizhko holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts diploma from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie (2016) and a Master’s degree in Law from the National Law Academy in Ukraine (2006).
Yuliia Elyas, originates from Dnipro, Ukraine, holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Dnipro National University and a master’s degree in Fine Arts from HKU: Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht, completed in 2022. She studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy from 2016 to 2019. Elyas has co-initiated collaborative projects one of which is online platform Ukrainian Decolonial glossary. https://decolonialglossary.com.ua Part of the fellowship BAK cell Utrecht for situated practices 2023/2024
