The art of hope

Zinovii Tolkachov, Mykhailo Vainshtein, Liubov Rapoport, Ada Rybachuk, and Volodymyr Melnychenko – in the past, these artists’ works could have been seen only at in-house informal exhibitions. Now, when the Soviet Union is no more, and gone with it “the only correct” way to perceive art, the general audience discovers them. Taras Shevchenko National Museum has opened the exhibition of the artwork by friends of the Center for Jewish Studies of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy, and of the Dukh i Litera publishing house. These artists explore various tragic themes, such as the Holocaust or the shootings on Maidan, but their works always give space for hope and faith in the triumph of life.

The exhibition begins with artwork from 1950s-1970s. A Jewish ghetto boy pierces with his gaze out of Mykhailo Vainshtein’s canvas. The “elders” – sculptures by Yakiv Razhba – are watching the people. On the contrast,    beside are the light paintings by Halyna Hryhorieva: girls swimming, apples ripe, and everything is drawn in such an easy-going manner, as if it was weaved from the air itself. The emotional stress is emphasized in the lithographs by Ada Rybachuk and Volodymyr Melnychenko from the “Memory” series. And then there is a material of dreams or memories – Kyiv at night on the landscapes of Liubov Rapoport.

Traveling further in time, we see the artwork of the late 20th century in the next hall. “Here the topics of breaking up and destruction are raised,” explains Pinhas Fishel, one of the exhibition’s organizers. “Thus, Viktor Hukailo portrays a world once full of towns and synagogues that disappeared, remaining only in memory – only some fragments of this world exist in reality. The Massacre at Chios by Oleksandr Roitburd is connected with the events of the Revolution of Dignity. This picture is a reaction to the destruction that is happening everywhere. At the same time it raises the question of how to deal with this destruction. And Borys Yehiazarian in his art tries to revive a broken world.” Two hundred years ago the Turks had massacred tens of thousands at the island of Chios, because they supported Greek independence fighters. The painting by Oleksandr Roitburd, Massacre at Chios, depicts two women who grieve for the innocent victims of all times. Beside there is the striking Full Moon by Borys Yehiazarian. The Moon-girl is playing the flute – perhaps a lullaby, as the image calms and soothes.

  The next hall features almost no works of “The Kyiv Collection.” Most things here are owned by Taras Shevchenko museum – here are the documents and works related to the theme of Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood. The link between the exhibition of Jewish art and the museum relics, is a set of small-scale writers’ sculptures created by Luisa Chereshkevych. Works of this author are also displayed in the next hall, which is the last one of the exhibition. A respectable couple, a lady with a dog – they seem to have joined the public in looking at the pictures. The heart of the exhibition is near these sculptures – the picturesque cycle “The Wall” by Matvii Vaisberg, dedicated to the events of the Revolution of Dignity. Gray smoke, black silhouettes, and red flashes express fear, despair, and hope.

  “The most difficult question is whether Jewish art in general exists at all. All these exhibitions are in fact experiments in order to find the answer. And I think as long as we try to find it out, Jewish art exists,” reflects Fishel. The exhibition at the Taras Shevchenko Museum features only a small part of Jewish-related artwork by Ukrainian artists. Center for Jewish Studies of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy has created a great online museum, which includes hundreds of works by almost 20 authors. “Some of these artists express Jewish topics, some don’t, but all of them are great artists,” says Leonid Finberg, director of the Center for Jewish Studies of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy, editor-in-chief of the Dukh i Litera publishing house. “All those masters are bright and talented people who did not obey ideological orders in the Soviet times. Today we know these artists more, but they still don’t have our attention enough.”

Thus, there are many reasons to attend “The Kyiv Collection” – it will be open at the Taras Shevchenko National Museum through October 4.