Galeria Labirynt. Lublin, Poland, 2024

Curatorial group: Alya Segal, Waldemar Tatarczuk

Partners: Artsvit Gallery, Katarzyna Kozyra Foundation

Photo: Diana Kolczewska 

“Secondary Archive” is a project originating in Poland, dedicated to researching and archiving art that has long been relegated to secondary status in cultural discourse. Specifically, we focus on women’s art. This year, the “Secondary Archive” welcomes 15 new Ukrainian female artists whose works explore the theme of war.

The female artists participating in the exhibition do not directly portray the war in their works – images from battlefields or the aftermath of Russian missile attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure unfortunately no longer evoke profound reactions. However, the loss of their homes and forced displacement inevitably influences the artists’ creative endeavours. They delve into memories of home and childhood while exploring novel avenues for commemorative practices.

Moreover, the war accentuates not only the significance of home but also compels a re-evaluation of the concept of land. Landscape, soil, and geographical areas have emerged as prominent subjects for Ukrainian artists today.

Additionally, the body, a perennial subject for artists, appears in a distorted and altered form due to the war. Artists reassess their relationship with their bodies, gender, care, and the human body as an object of war.

Within the exhibition, Polish female artists, grappling with similar themes of home, body, and land, engage in a dialogue with their Ukrainian counterparts. This exchange unveils deeper connections between Ukrainian and Polish cultures and underscores the tendency in Eastern European art to confront sensitive topics and foster a discourse on collective female solidarity.