Ukrainian Home to exhibit People’s Artists

More than 200 artworks of the Ukrainian artists who were granted the People’s Artist title will be presented at “The masterpieces of People’s Artists in Ukraine” exhibit. The exposition, which is commemorating the 20th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, will be part of the artistic project “20” and take place at the Ukrainian Home from August 22 until September 4. The list of participants includes the People’s Artists of independent Ukraine, both of the Ukrainian SSR and USSR, such as Tetiana Yablonska, Mykola Hlushchenko, Yuri Zorko, Viktor Ryzhykh, Heorhii Yakutovych, Yevhen Volobuiev, Vilen Chekaniuk, Tetiana Holembiievska, etc. According to the organizers, the leitmotif of the exhibit is Ukraine and Ukrainians in oeuvre of renowned People’s Artists.

The Day spoke with Anna KOPYLOVA and Bohdana PAVLYCHKO, main organizers of the exhibit, project managers at the Ukrainian Home.

It was interesting to see Rodin’s The Thinker instead of the bronzed Lenin statue at one of the exhibits at the Ukrainian Home. This gives you the reason to think about what has been happening to the country and the society in the recent two decades. Since you are going to supervise the artistic field at the Ukrainian Home, it would be interesting to know, what is your vision of this initiative’s development?

Anna KOPYLOVA: “First of all, there should be a dialogue between the past and the future. We are going to topical art launch projects, yet not forgetting our cultural heritage.”

You are beginning with the People’s Artists of the USSR, Ukrainian SSR and independent Ukraine. Our society has an ambiguous attitude to such titles and no wonder. Why did you decide to begin with the exposition of People’s Artists’ artworks? Why not merited ones, for example?

A.K.: “People’s Artist is the highest title granted by the state to its artists. This project is, above all, interesting since it shows whose merits and for what reasons the state has been marking. I think that each viewer should form his own opinion, express it, and after all, if there is a need for this, he should defend it.”

Bohdana PAVLYCHKO: “We are not expecting ‘ooh’ and ‘aah.’ It would be wonderful if the exposition leads to thoughts, including critical ones.”

A.K.: “We had an idea to organize a roundtable. But it is complicated to organize it. There are only two of us involved in the project. Besides, we are too limited in time.”

By what criteria did you select artists and works?

A.K.: “We will present nearly 200 works of over 140 artists. All of them worked in various artistic styles and fields. It is impossible to unite them under one curatorial idea.”

B.P.: “We consider the names, which will be included in the exposition, really significant, including People’s Artists of the USSR [Yablonska, Hlushchenko. – Author], Ukrainian SSR, and all those who were granted the title in the time of independent Ukraine. Again, there is a dialogue. I mean, we have narrowed a huge pleiad to quite a large group.”

A.K.: “Unfortunately, the works of some artists will not take part in the exhibit, as the transportation of canvases is difficult.”

B.P.: “We have focused mainly on painting, graphic art, and sculpture. However, there is also a huge heritage of People’s Artists in the fields of theater and cinema.”

What museums and private collectors did you apply to?

A.K.: “We are cooperating with the National Art Museum, Taras Shevchenko National Museum, Museum of Modern Ukrainian Art, Academy of Art of Ukraine, Union of Artists’ holdings. However, this time we have not managed to get regional museums involved. But we plan to do so.”

The word combination “People’s Artist” sounds quite monumental, but there is a human being behind. Speaking about such stories as Hlushchenko’s, who is known not only due to his artistic oeuvre… In a word, there is much to discuss. You must have been surprised, delighted or outraged, when you plunged into this material.

B.P.: “The issue of People’s Artists is quite ambiguous. When you start plunging into this material, you understand that everything is not so simple. Say, a state has given a title to someone, and it was either fair, or unfair, which depends also on specific historical circumstances.

“As for discoveries, Ernest Kontratovych, who deceased in 2009, appeared to us to be such a discovery. The exhibit shows some of his works which have not been on display before. These are canvases from private collections, Orphans and The Lilac will be in Blossom Again.”

Speaking about the history of the question, when did they start to grant the title of People’s Artist?

B.P.: “In 1943, during the war. The first artists to be awarded with this title were painters Alexander Gerasimov and Boris Ioganson, sculptors Sergey Merkulov and Vera Mukhina. Incidentally, we are the first to collect and publish the complete list of all the People’s Artists of the Ukrainian independence period.”

So, we did not have a list.

B.P.: “We did not. We gathered the information on our own and with the help of several specialists.”

A.K.: “Wherever we applied, nobody had statistics concerning the People’s Artists: neither Presidential Administration [though, it was logical, for the title of People’s Artists is given by presidential edict. – Author], nor the Union of Artists.”

B.P.: “The complete list compiled by us numbers nearly 200 names. It will be published in the exhibit’s catalogue. It should be highlighted that I am speaking about those who have been awarded in the time of independent Ukraine. We have not even studied in depth the Soviet time. I think today it is physically impossible to make an [absolutely. – Ed.] complete list.”

The nation does not know its artists.

B.P.: “Yes, the state awards someone, and the people know nothing of it. There should be some transparency.”

A.K.: “State awards are a normal thing, but they should be revealed and peeped into.”

Aren’t you afraid of skeptical reaction from the audience?

B.P.: “There should be skepticism present. For every Ukrainian exhibit of such level is absolutely plain, not leading to any thoughts or desire to express one’s opinion. Skepticism gives way to discourse. The time should come when we begin to say what is bad and what is good in this country.”

Which of the graphic artists and sculptors will be presented?

B.P.: “Regarding the sculptures, difficulties with their transportation should be considered. The Ukrainian Home will show the works by Kushch, Oderekhivsky, and Brovdi.”

A.K.: “As for the graphic artists, those will include Yakutovych, Derehus, Chebykin, Danchenko’s illustrations to Shevchenko’s poems Heretic, Muscovite’s Well, and The Witch. Along with the project ‘20,’ the Ukrainian Home will exhibit the project ‘21,’ presenting Ukrainian trans-avant-garde, and correspondingly, the significant artists of the Ukrainian contemporary art.”

Will you also present the complete catalogue of the exhibit?

B.P.: “The catalogue will include all the exhibited works plus short information about each artist. The pressrun is 1,500 copies. The publication opens a new page in the Ukrainian art, which reflects the relations between state and society, state and culture. For the exhibit is an illustration of certain artistic tradition, certain history.”

Incidentally, different periods of history.

B.P.: “Yes. Exhibits open and close, whereas a printed edition will remain.”

Do you have any ideas of future projects?

A.K.: “We have not made any arrangements, but we have plans. There is ‘Ukraine’s portrait – the 21st century’ project among them, which will present the works of modern Ukrainian artists in the portrait genre.”