The exhibition investigates how art aids in understanding the fundamental values of human existence in the context of historical change, offering a new language of creative dialogue that shapes ethical references and promotes the search for truth.
In early July, the Institute of Contemporary Art of Ukraine launched a new exhibition project titled "Universalism" initiated in collaboration with prominent Ukrainian artists, curators, and cultural institutions.
The project views art as a universal language capable of forming ethical guidelines, stimulating dialogue, and assisting in the quest for truth amidst the complexities of social interactions.
The exhibition showcases works by contemporary Ukrainian artists, including: Oksana Savchuk, Dmytro Sivtsov, Kateryna Bilokur, Andriy Kokotyukha, Iryna Mykhailova, Oleksandr Lyapin, and others. Their artworks create a space where art becomes a tool for self-discovery, societal understanding, and temporal reflection.
According to the director of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Oleksandr Savchuk, during the war and profound transformations that Ukraine is undergoing, universal human values — life, freedom, responsibility, justice, and truth — gain particular significance. The exhibition aims not only to capture artistic reflections on these challenges but also to create a space where these values can be lived, understood, and asserted through art.
The curators believe that the exhibition is not constructed as a linear narrative but as an open system of interaction appealing to philosophical traditions. Viewers do not receive ready-made answers but engage in dialogue with the artworks, independently building their logic of viewing and interpretation. This approach transforms the exhibition into an intellectual laboratory where art becomes a process of discovery through emotional experience.
The project's curator, Vitaliy Adlermann, notes that "Universalism" is not a finished construction but a space of inquiry where each work poses questions, and the viewer becomes a conversation partner. The goal is not to impose interpretations but to create conditions for independent understanding.
The central theme of the exhibition is the tension between freedom and responsibility, between the artist's personal choice and their societal role. This balance is embodied in a conceptual structure inspired by Plato’s model: artist-philosophers work with concepts (e.g., Oleg Tistol); activist-artists raise complex issues (e.g., Viktor Sydorenko); craft-artists engage with materials and traditions (e.g., Marina Skugareva, Anastasia Podervyanska).
At a time when Ukraine is experiencing war and profound historic transformations, art emerges not only as a reflection of reality but also as a conduit of meaning and values. The exhibition "Universalism" opens a space for philosophical contemplation of concepts such as freedom, responsibility, truth, and justice — the foundations upon which our future is built.
Exhibition: "Universalism"
When: until August 24, on weekdays from 11:00 to 19:00.
Where: Kyiv, Yevhen Konovalets St, 18-d.
Admission Free