An experimental exhibition of silkscreen-printed works dedicated to reflections on collective methods of work, mutual support and cohesion in times of emigration.
The works were made by the resident of the Stiftung Kunstfonds in SDW Berlin (Offene Siebdruckwerkstatt), Odesa artist Yevheniia Maior in collaboration with her colleagues: A. Amelang, K. Marszewski, MNPL, M. Piletska, S. Ymai.
The exhibition was a part of Tag der Druckkunst 2023
"Odesa, Crimea, the Carpathians, the Kinburn Spit"
Mariia Piletska, Yevheniia Maior
4 monoprints on A3 paper, 4 foil prints, glue
2023
Here we see four locations in Ukraine that gave us unforgettable memories, but which are now under attack by the terrorist state a.k.a russian federation.
Odesa. The slopes on the beach near the Rescue Station. "It's my happy place. I always came here when I felt bad and the sea washed away my grief" - says Zhenia. Now almost all the beaches in Odesa are mined and closed for visiting.
Crimea (ARC). Every fall, on Zhenia's mother birthday, her family used to drive from Odesa to the coast of Crimea by car. From 2014 it is a russian-occupied territory.
The Carpathians. "I remember the bells ringing in the morning from a herd of cows, the water gurgling in the streams. The sounds, smells, tastes, and landscapes of the Carpathians are all about Ukraine's bounty with treasures" - shares Masha.
The Kinburn Spit. This is the territory of the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve. For Masha, it is a very magical place, very much about freedom and peace. It is currently under the occupation of russian invaders. Many forests, fields and wild animals have been destroyed by shelling and fires. The coastline is also mined. "Most likely, the spit, as I remember it, will remain only in my memories" — says Masha.
To these four photographs artists added their oberihs (amulets): a puppet dog, a piece of land from Alboingarten, shells from the Kinburn Spit, a massager given to Masha by her mother. These little prints are an homage of a publication "oberih" by Understructures.
“Phanthome”
Yevheniia Maior
Fabric, airbrush, bleach
2022-2023
“Phanthome” is a combination of the words phantom and home. Silkscreen artists will also recognize this term from the working process of exposing screens.
After painting those houses, artist began to notice that her Ukrainian colleagues also painted a similar motif, without even showing them to each other. Projections, labyrinths from room to room, power plants made of buildings. It was reveling for her, because we have to understand that during the war all Ukrainians united and became a big family. They are not alone in carrying this burden of grief. Ukrainian constantly lived through revolutions, wars, repressions, tortures, slavery, famine, etc. Resistance is in their blood. So are the thoughts of home in emigration.
"Longing for the phantom of happiness is happiness"
- Galician poet Ulyana Kravchenko
Diptych with Odesa's artefacts "#1 & #2"
MNPL, Yevheniia Maior
3 color print on A3 paper
Monopoly group (MNPL) is an architectural and artistic group from Odesa. Some of the members from the team are now based in Dortmund, Germany. Unfortunately, during the martial law in Ukraine, men are not allowed to leave the country or to leave again upon their return. So some of them haven't been home for more then two years.
All the photos were taken in Odesa. MNPL also feature their signature anchor column and columns in the shape of a chaos star. Yevheniia's participation was in printing and selling artworks for donation to UA volunteers.
Triptych “Zerfließen”
Anne Amelang, Yevheniia Maior
3 printed concrete plates with Berlin’s street findings
3 printed concrete plates with Berlin’s street findings
2023
"When we started working on this work, we were inspired by the myth of Icarus, who could not control his desire for freedom and crashed into the water. These plates became a membrane between space, like a reflection of light on the surface of deep water" — the artists share.
This is also a rather subtle practice with the world of things that merge into one single faceless environment, gaining their value only in the viewer's eyes. For example, a print of a bicycle frame without wheels. We see this artifact on the streets and this object can bring to mind the life of nomads.
Yevheniia has a backstory behind this work: "When I was crossing the border from Ukraine to Poland, there was a long line of people waiting for a free bus to Przemysl train station. We stood under the sun for about an hour, and volunteers fed us, but it was still hard and anxious. But not for everyone.
A couple of meters from the line, I saw a snow-white tent with a group of Romani people. The whole family was as colorful as ever: golden teeth, teenagers with bare stomachs, an old woman with a cigarette, a baby sucking on tanned breast. And among them was a teenage Roma girl who was talking on the phone in pure Ukrainian. At that moment, it dawned on me.
They are just like us, they are constantly in migration and under the influence of discrimination for decades. In this tent they felt comfortable, smiled, joked. This way of life without a permanent home is their normal life. I was overwhelmed with respect for them. And why should I — since 1978, Romani people have had a beautiful flag as blue and green stripes with a red cart wheel in the middle. This element symbolizes the traveling tradition of the Roma people and is also a tribute to the flag of India".
The wheels of this bicycle are already traveling somewhere else, but its base is tied to the ground, waiting for change.
Piece printed by Anne Amelang. Zerfließen — distortion of the flow, melting, dissolving; the prefix zer- becoming/destroying something.
The third plate depicts a boy from the village of Moshchanytsia (Rivne Oblast). The library in his village hosted a drawing competition on the asphalt, where he wrote "Ukraine will win" in chalk. This is the flower of the Ukrainian nation, and with such children they will definitely win.
Triptych "Glad we can share it"
Yevheniia Maior
Print on linen fabric with earth, wooden frames size A4
2023
This work is inspired by the American musician and artist Daniel Johnston, specifically song "My Yoke Is Heavy" from his album "Don't Be Scared", 1982.
After migrating to Berlin, Yevheniia met wonderful people who were ready to help, support or just listen to her as a war refugee. She also met colleagues in silk-screen printing craft (which is quite rare in Ukraine), most of whom were also immigrants. And now they work together on the same land. The German land.
So the artist expressed her grief and at the same time showed respect for those who support and cooperate with Ukrainians and all immigrants in Germany.
A yoke is a tool for plowing the land with the help of cattle. Usually it is divided between two cows so that it's not so difficult for them to work.
Making a print with earth was an unusual challenge. In the mixture with the transparent base, the earth constantly changed its consistency. The goal of making three identical prints became obsessive; many trials and errors led the artist to the feeling of becoming a copy machine.
"Every day I came to the workshop as if it was a factory, of which I'm still a part of (shut out to OSRZ collective). Hard monotonous work allowed me to forget about fatigue, sadness, loneliness, anxiety about my home in Odesa, which could be destroyed by a russian missile any time. The memory of our ancestors who worked in the field, their traditions, family, and homeland gave me strength and inspiration to continue."
“The rhythm is destroying my sense of collectivity”
Sebastian Ymai, Yevheniia Maior
4-meter textile patchwork with the silkscreen prints and airbrush works
2022
Sebastian Ymai, Yevheniia Maior
4-meter textile patchwork with the silkscreen prints and airbrush works
2022
The work is dedicated to organic interactions in grassroots collectives.
The artists S. Ymai, Y. Maior and M. Piletska (mentioned above) are part of the socio-artistic collective Czentrifuga in Berlin. It was the first silk-screen printing workshop that Yevheniia joined in Berlin, and she remains a member to this day. For the artist, Czentrifuga was also pretty similar to the SRZ-2 art-factory in Odesa. It helped her feel at home in the first months of immigration.
"This collective taught me about healthy communication and that we don't have to be the same parts of the mechanism. The main thing is to keep a common vector in our work, stay emphatic and open-minded, even in the midst of total chaos" — says the artist.
"P.S. I want to remind you that the war is ongoing. People like you and me are fighting for freedom in the war right now. Please support our resistance. We have a maniac aggressor as our neighbor, who is driving himself and his people into a corner. A corner of defeat, shame, and tribunal. We will fight for our independence and democratic world to the last. And only with your help we will be able to do it. All exhibits can be purchased, 80% of the funds will go to the needs of volunteers and the army."
After the exhibition on the 15.03 - 23.04.2023, we raised 1170 euros.
Some of the works are still for sale, so please join in.
Together to victory and glory to Ukraine!
IG-links of the artistess and artists mentioned in this material:
https://www.instagram.com/sdwsiebdruck/
https://www.instagram.com/mercedes_marszewski/
https://www.instagram.com/atelier_anne_amelang/
https://www.instagram.com/czentrifuga/
https://www.instagram.com/volnot.mj/
https://www.instagram.com/weemariya/
https://www.instagram.com/guechulare/
https://www.instagram.com/mnplworkshop/
https://www.instagram.com/mnplworkshop/
Thank you for your attention, glad that we could share it!
