Illustration

Ukraine: The Light Will Win

The project of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine for Le Salon d’Automne in Paris18-21 January, 2024

Grande Halle de la Villette Exhibition Centre
in Paris (211 Avenue Jean Jaurès, 75019 Paris)

Illustration

About the Project

The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine has been invited to participate at the 120th Le Salon d'Automne, which was held from 18 to 21 January 2024, to present the “Light Will Win” project at the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris.
In the “Light Will Win” project, presented at Parisian Le Salon d’Automne, the NAA of Ukraine brought together renowned artists-academicians and young artists. Regardless of the city of birth, they all identify themselves as Ukrainians, and they are united by highlighting one common truth about the unprecedented violent war. They see their mission in continuing to work, to record memory, to render thoughts and hopes, to generate support and strength, and, thus to keep the spirit of Ukrainians alive through art, through light.

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    The Salon d'Automne was launched in 1903 and has given rise to artistic movements and major figures in contemporary art, such as Matisse and Guimard. This year, for its 120 anniversary, some 1,400 artworks will be brought together in the annual show. The exhibition will be attended by a number of personalities from the art world along with the artists who will present their works.
    Rooted in this prestigious past, the show continues today to bring together artists from all over the world, and this time of fifty different nationalities, as well as some 30,000 art connoisseurs are expected to attend.  Among Ukrainian artists taking part in the Salon in January 2024: Serhiy Mykhalchuk, Dmytro Kozatskyi, Kateryna Lisova, Anastasiia Podervianska, Mykhailo Rai, Victor Sydorenko, Anatoliy Melnyk, Pavlo Makov, Yuriy Vakulenko, Oleksandr Dubovik, Anatoliy Kryvolap, Tiberiy Szilvashi, Liubomir Medvid, Oleg Tistol, Andriy Bokotey, Sergei Sviatchenko, and Maryna Skugareva.  Curated by Natalia Shpytkovska Special thanks are extended to Andriy Puchkov, Oles Sanin, Mykhailo Bokotey, Olimpia Cebotari, Natalia Kochergina, and Kadim Tarasov.

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Opening

From 18 to 21 January 2024, the 120th edition of Le Salon d'Automne took place in the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris. The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine was invited to participate in the event with the "Light Will Win" exhibition project. The participation of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine in the Autumn Salon was made possible due to the support of the philanthropist Lady Dewi Sukarno.
The opening of the Salon d'Automne was attended by philanthropist and founder of the Earth Aid Society Foundation, Lady Dewi Sukarno, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the French Republic Vadym Omelchenko, President of the Salon d'Automne Gilles Guillaume, President of the NAA of Ukraine, founder of the Modern Art Research Institute of the NAA of Ukraine Victor Sydorenko, Vice President of the NAA of Ukraine, Director General of the National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery" Yuriy Vakulenko, Corresponding Member of the NAA of Ukraine, Head of the Western Regional Center of the NAA of Ukraine Mykhailo Bokotey, and other honoured guests.

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    Launched in 1903, Le Salon d'Automne has given rise to artistic movements and prominent figures in contemporary art, such as Matisse and Guimard, Cézanne and Gauguin. Over the past 100 years, the Salon has witnessed the emergence of the major artistic movements of the century, including Fauvism, Surrealism, Cubism, Abstract Art, New Figurative and Singular Art.
    This year, for its 120 anniversary, the annual exhibition featured works by about 1,000 artists from around the world and was attended by more than 30,000 people. The focus was on the Ukrainian exhibition project Light Will Win.
    “Culture and art are the fundamental stimuli for defending the state and the means of ensuring Ukraine's spiritual defence capability. Along with weapons, they form a crucial tandem that attests to the uniqueness of Ukraine's place in the world and its ability to withstand external influences and intrusions.We believe that light will win! No global catastrophe or tragedy will break humanity's faith in creative vitality, and art will revive and heal wounds. This idea is the core of the NAA of Ukraine's exhibition project at the Le Salon d’Automne anniversary show in Paris.”Victor Sydorenko, President of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine
    “For the Light Will Win project, presented at Parisian Le Salon d’Automne, we have brought together renowned artists-academicians and young artists, who are revealing the truth about the unprecedented violent war. The artists see their mission in continuing to work, to record memory, to render thoughts and hopes, to generate support and strength, and, thus to keep the spirit of Ukrainians alive through art, through light.”Natalia Shpytkovska, curator of the Light Will Win project
    The participants of the project Light Will Win are Andriy Bokotey, Yuriy Vakulenko, Oleksandr Dubovik, Dmytro Kozatskyi, Anatoliy Kryvolap, Kateryna Lisova, Pavlo Makov, Liubomir Medvid, Anatoliy Melnyk, Serhiy Mykhalchuk, Anastasiia Podervianska, Mykhailo Rai, Sergei Sviatchenko, Victor Sydorenko, Tiberiy Szilvashi, Maryna Skugareva, and Oleg Tistol. 
    The participation of Ukrainian artists in this year's salon was made possible with the generous support of philanthropist Lady Dewi Sukarno and the Earth Aid Society Foundation.

International conference «Bringing Victory Closer: The Artistic Endeavour in Wartime» 

As part of the Salon d'Automne, on 19 January 2024, an international conference «Bringing Victory Closer: The Artistic Endeavour in Wartime» took place, with the participation of Stefan Beiu, Member of the Salon d'Automne Board of Directors, Chairman of the Heritage and Innovation section at Salon d'Automne.
Ukrainian delegation was represented by Victor Sydorenko, President of the NAA of Ukraine, Academician of the NAA of Ukraine, Professor, founder of the Modern Art Research Institute of the NAA of Ukraine; Yuriy Vakulenko, Vice President of the NAA of Ukraine, Director General of the National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery", Associate Professor at the National Academy of Management of Culture and Arts; Mykhailo Bokotey, Corresponding Member of the NAA of Ukraine, Associate Professor, Head of the Western Regional Center of the NAA of Ukraine; Natalia Shpytkovska, Advisor to the President of the NAA of Ukraine, PhD in Cultural Studies, curator of the Ukrainian exhibition stand at the Salon d'Automne. 

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    During the conference, each member of the delegation delivered their speeches, and a short film within the documentary project CULTURE VS WAR, created by the representatives of the NAA of Ukraine was presented.
    The conference aimed to demonstrate the role of artists and cultural institutions in preserving Ukrainian national identity in the face of russian aggression. Among the questions addressed at the conference: the role of artists and culture in times of war; the importance of supporting artistic institutions during a military conflict; the therapeutic effect of artistic and creative practices; and the need for international recognition and integration of Ukrainian art in the global context.
    At the Salon d'Automne, Lady Dewi Sukarno was awarded the highest award of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine - the Order of Arts, First Class - in recognition of her outstanding support of Ukrainian culture. The National Academy of Arts also presented the Salon d'Automne with a Gold Medal on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the Salon's foundation. The award ceremony was attended by the President of the NAA of Ukraine Victor Sydorenko and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the French Republic Vadym Omelchenko.
    Special thanks are extended to Andriy Puchkov, Oles Sanin, Serhiy Kireev, Mykhailo Bokotey, Olimpia Cebotari, Natalia Kochergina, and Kadim Tarasov.
    Partners: Art Support Fund and Aleksandr Savchuk Foundation.

The NAA of Ukraine Visited Académie des Beaux-Art in Paris

As part of the visit to Paris, the delegation of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine was invited to pay an official visit to the Académie des Beaux-Art (Academy of Fine Arts).
Académie des Beaux-Art, being one of the five academies which form the Institut de France, was created in 1816 in Paris as a merger of the Académie de peinture et de sculpture (Academy of Painting and Sculpture, founded 1648), the Académie de musique (Academy of Music, founded in 1669) and the Académie d'architecture (Academy of Architecture, founded in 1671).

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    A descendant of the royal academies established in the 17th century, in order to fulfill its missions, the Academy of Fine Arts pursues patronage action in diversified forms in France and abroad by granting numerous prizes to emerging and established artists, organization of competitions, financing artistic residencies, allocation of aid to artistic projects, events or associations. 
    In the service of this vocation, the Académie manages its heritage consisting of donations and legacies and administers its important museum heritage including the Marmottan Monet Museum (Paris) and the Marmottan Library (Boulogne), the House and gardens of Claude Monet (Giverny), the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild (Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat), the Villa les Pinsons (Chars), the Maison-atelier Lurçat (Paris) and the Galerie Vivienne (Paris) of which it co-owns. The Académie also maintains an active policy of partnerships with a large network of cultural institutions and patrons.
    The meeting with the representatives of the NAA of Ukraine Victor Sydorenko, President of the NAA of Ukraine, Academician of the NAA of Ukraine and Yuriy Vakulenko, Vice President of the NAA of Ukraine, Director General of the National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery", Corresponding Member of the NAA of Ukraine was attended by the high members of the Académie: Adrien Goetz, president of the Académie des Beaux-Art, Coline Serreau, Vice-president of the Académie, as well as Laurent Petitgirard, Perpetual secretary of the Académie.
    The official visit to the Académie des Beaux-Art is a part of the international relations and cultural diplomacy of the NAA of Ukraine. Negotiations on cooperation between the NAA of Ukraine and the Beaux-Arts de Paris and future joint art events are in progress. 

Concept

Ukraine: the light will win. These words remain an unceasing prayer for all Ukrainians who are resisting brutal russian military aggression and living in a state of war for the second year in a row.
The eponymous picture by Dmytro Kozatskyi “Light Will Win” remains a symbol of resilience and honour for all the defenders of Azovstal, who fought with meagre forces against the enemies for three months in April-May 2022.
The year 2023 brings death and loss to many Ukrainian families. The nation is losing the best generation of young, passionate and talented patriots. How to preserve humanity? How to live with the faith in the light? What makes Ukrainians strong in the fight against villainous invaders who outnumber them at least tenfold?
For Le Salon d’Automne, the NAA of Ukraine selected works by artists, who continue their creative practice, incarnating Ukrainian art traditions, worldview and distinctive artistic vision. 

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    The Ukrainian nation spans a thousand years of history. Being rich in vast lands from mountains to the seaside, this country is endowed with breathtaking landscapes and the splendour of nature. Spectacular landscapes of Anatoly Kryvolap reflect the quiet moment of being in your native land, as if catching a motif of a song that lies deep in the consciousness of everyone born here.
    Both Kryvolap and Tiberiy Szilvashi were part of the ‘Zhyvopysnyi Zapovidnyk’ art group. Szilvashi has pioneered pure, non-objective abstraction since the 1980s, acting in defiance of the widespread and authorities' imposed rules of obligatory figurative artistic approaches. His artworks are distinguished by vibrant colours and hues that derive from an avant-garde tradition that was ruined by the totalitarian regime.
    The home-valued centrism is depicted by Liubomyr Medvid. Born in Western Ukraine, the artist considers home to be a fortress and the only truth. For many Ukrainians, leaving their dwellings means dying...
    Ukrainians are brought up on traditions passed down from their ancestors, and Katerina Lisova’s ‘family trees’ bring us back to the cycles of disasters that generations have suffered, depicting personal tragedies: destroyed fates, bonds and hearths.
    Anastasiia Podervianska’s “Ukraine Air Alarm” bleeding textiles refer to the strong artisanal traditions that are decoded in women's embroidery and carpets. Women are losing their sons and husbands, their hearts are broken, and their open wounds will not heal soon.
    Women fight, provide support, and yet have to remain women to procreate. Art becomes the remedy and psychological reflection for all those in the war zone. Such is the work by Maryna Skugareva “199 Day”, which depicts a flamboyant bird as a hope, interrupting the cycle of the disturbing news and losses.
    The absurdity of war and violence in the 21st century, the blindness of humanity is in the collage by Mykhailo Rai. Having lived through the occupation in Kherson, the artist kept his diary, where he questioned the matter of awareness and freedom of choice. When is the time for indifference and tolerance to atrocities? Why do people become zombified and ready to murder, gradually destroying themselves as little compassion remains in them?Anatoliy Melnyk’s “Manifesto” illustrates how easily people are deceived by slogans and misled by their leaders, how the same mistakes are repeatedly made over and over again for decades, drowning millions in blood. The minds of people are captured by hatred, evil and revenge, false values.
    The collective symbolic character created by Victor Sydorenko gives an abstract idea of instincts and human nature, of fear and despair, and of the disorientation of a person in the modern world. Sydorenko is one of the few artists who addressed the subject of a person in the post-soviet era and seeks to interpret it in different semantic presentations. In doing so, he attempts, on the one hand, to overcome the inertial individualisation of society, and, on the other hand, he is able to "travel" with the character beyond his own statement, offering a new interpretation of events: the cruelty and inevitability of time, the strange "intertwining" of individual human destiny with it. In the project “Millstones of Time”, presented at the 50th Venice Biennale, Sydorenko addressed, among other things, the personal trauma of being born into a family of deported migrants. Sydorenko’s contemporary protagonist continues to explore human boundaries: is there anything in the world that human beings fail to break?
    Yuriy Vakulenko’s objects are artefacts that witness the shocking atrocities in the cities of Bucha and Borodyanka, those that wound every person, who would never have expected to experience such after WWII… The works are intended to save memory from oblivion and indifference.
    Despite his apocalyptical premonitions in 2012 and subconscious choice of the subject for the painting “Apocalypse”, presented in Paris, Oleksandr Dubovik is confident that Ukraine will exist forever. As an artist, he believes that his vision is in the preservation of spiritual power, a strength that can generate support for Ukraine’s victory. The nation has tremendous potential to fight for independence for thousands of years. The future holds promise and prosperity for the brave.
    Not only does the art record but it also provides a formidable support for the power of imagination, faith in light and victory. Renowned Ukrainian cameraman Serhiy Mykhalchuk has been documenting the russian invasion of Ukraine from the very first days, his photographs captured death in the eyes of the people. On display at the exhibition in Paris, Mykhalchuk showcases daily footage from the frontline. The battles continue every minute, and he manifests courage and strength, saving the belief that evil will be defeated. The transparent glass sculptures by Andriy Bokotey embody guardians, which take roots from ancient mythical spirits, gods, and warriors, who invisibly stand in defence of every Ukrainian.
    With his work the “Fountain of Exhaustion”, shown at the Venice Biennale in 2022 right after the outbreak of the war, Pavlo Makov emphasizes that Ukraine’s independence has been in question for many years, despite the fact that Ukrainians have always identified themselves culturally and historically independent. For hundreds of years, Ukrainians have lived in the same territories. Captured and humiliated by their neighbours, they stayed united. In his work “1000 Years of Independence” Makov depicts numerous continuous sacrifices of generations, reinforced further by the current war.
    Art has always been a way of resistance for many since the soviet era. Oleg Tistol portrayed cultural and political figures who opposed the totalitarian regime. He was the one who began to develop visual national stereotypes, depicting symbols, places and people that are historically associated with the nation, but often misused and manipulated for imperial purposes. The series of Ukrainian Crimean landscapes was initiated long before the russian invasion. The artist uses an approach that is almost poster-like, achieving maximum simplicity to explain the truth. He paints the iconic Crimean mountain Ay Petri according to traditional Ukrainian ornamentation, as it rises high on Ukrainian soil.
    In the “Light Will Win” project for Parisian Le Salon d’Automne, the NAA of Ukraine brought together renowned artists-academicians and young artists from different parts of Ukraine: Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Lviv, Mykolayiv, Lutsk, Mukachevo, Yahotyn, Malyn, as well as other countries. Regardless of the city of birth, they all identify themselves as Ukrainians, and they are united by highlighting one common truth about the unprecedented violent war. They see their mission in continuing to work, to record memory, to render thoughts and hopes, to generate support and strength, and, thus to keep the spirit of Ukrainians alive through art, through light.

    Curated by Natalia Shpytkovska

    The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine extends special thanks to the godmother Lady Dewi Soekarno for supporting the project.

Inspired by the Victory: Ukrainian Artists in Times of War

Victor Sydorenko, artist, President of NAA of Ukraine: "For more than a year and a half, Ukraine has been under severe challenges not only for ourselves but also for the entire world. Particularly for European countries. WWI and WWII and their aftermath, which affected the fates of several generations of almost every European family, revealed a model of changing human worldviews during the war.

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    It is culture and art that are the fundamental stimulus for the defending the state and the means of ensuring Ukraine's spiritual defence capability. Along with weapons, they constitute a crucial tandem that attests to the uniqueness of Ukraine's place in the world and its ability to withstand external influences and intrusions.
    We believe that light will win! No global catastrophe or tragedy will break humanity's faith in creative vitality, and art will revive and heal wounds. This idea is the core of the NAA of Ukraine's exhibition project at the 2023 Le Salon d’Automne anniversary show in Paris.
    We express our sincere gratitude to the management of the Le Salon d’Automne for the chance to be present here. The Academy's participation in the event of this high level was due to the initiative and support of godmother Lady Dewi Soekarno.
    We would like to extend special thanks to the Ukrainian project team in Paris: Natalia Shpytkovska, curator and exhibition manager; Andriy Puchkov, Oles Sanin, Mykhailo Bokotey, Olimpia Cebotari, and Natalia Kochergina."

    • Organisers and Partners

    • The Salon d'Automne, The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Earth Aid Society and Lady Dewi Soekarno, Art Support Fund, The Aleksandr Savchuk Foundation

    • Organisers and Partners

    • Organisers and Partners

    • The Salon d'Automne, The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Earth Aid Society and Lady Dewi Soekarno, Art Support Fund, The Aleksandr Savchuk Foundation

    • The Salon d'Automne, The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Earth Aid Society and Lady Dewi Soekarno, Art Support Fund, The Aleksandr Savchuk Foundation

    • Curator

    • Natalia Shpytkovska

    • Organisers and Partners

    • Curator

    • The Salon d'Automne, The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Earth Aid Society and Lady Dewi Soekarno, Art Support Fund, The Aleksandr Savchuk Foundation

    • Natalia Shpytkovska

    • Special thanks are extended to

    • Andriy Puchkov, Oles Sanin, Mykhailo Bokotey, Olimpia Cebotari, Natalia Kochergina, and Kadim Tarasov

    • Organisers and Partners

    • Special thanks are extended to

    • The Salon d'Automne, The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Earth Aid Society and Lady Dewi Soekarno, Art Support Fund, The Aleksandr Savchuk Foundation

    • Andriy Puchkov, Oles Sanin, Mykhailo Bokotey, Olimpia Cebotari, Natalia Kochergina, and Kadim Tarasov

    • Exhibition Dates

    • 18-21 January, 2024

    • Organisers and Partners

    • Exhibition Dates

    • The Salon d'Automne, The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Earth Aid Society and Lady Dewi Soekarno, Art Support Fund, The Aleksandr Savchuk Foundation

    • 18-21 January, 2024

    • Work Hours

    • Thursday and Friday, 11 am-7 pm; Saturday, 11 am-9 pm; Sunday, 11 am-6 pm

    • Organisers and Partners

    • Work Hours

    • The Salon d'Automne, The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Earth Aid Society and Lady Dewi Soekarno, Art Support Fund, The Aleksandr Savchuk Foundation

    • Thursday and Friday, 11 am-7 pm; Saturday, 11 am-9 pm; Sunday, 11 am-6 pm

Organisers and Partners

The Salon d'Automne, The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Earth Aid Society and Lady Dewi Soekarno, Art Support Fund, The Aleksandr Savchuk Foundation

Curator

Natalia Shpytkovska

Special thanks are extended to

Andriy Puchkov, Oles Sanin, Mykhailo Bokotey, Olimpia Cebotari, Natalia Kochergina, and Kadim Tarasov

Exhibition Dates

18-21 January, 2024

Work Hours

Thursday and Friday, 11 am-7 pm; Saturday, 11 am-9 pm; Sunday, 11 am-6 pm

— Ukraine: The Light Will Win

Organisers

Heading photo

The Salon d'Automne

The Salon d'Automne was launched in 1903 and has given rise to artistic movements and major figures in contemporary art, such as Matisse and Guimard. This year, for its 120 anniversary, some 1,400 artworks will be brought together in the annual show. The exhibition will be attended by a number of personalities from the art world along with the artists who will present their works.

Rooted in this prestigious past, the show continues today to bring together artists from all over the world, and this time of fifty different nationalities, as well as some 30,000 art connoisseurs are expected to attend.

Learn more
Heading photo

The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine

The National Academy of Arts of Ukraine is Ukraine’s leading art institution, which consists of 104 academicians and corresponding members in six specialized departments (visual art, musical art, theatre art, cinema art, art theory and history, and synthesis of plastic arts). In addition, the Academy has 38 foreign members and 27 honorary academicians, prominent representatives of the global art establishment.
The mission of the NAAU is the comprehensive development of the science of world and Ukrainian art and culture, providing outstanding artists with resources for the creation and exhibition of artworks.

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ART SUPPORT FUND

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