8-11 March, 2024, Amsterdam, BG3, VOX-POP (Binnengasthuisstraat 9).
By invitation of the University of Amsterdam, Kastanje organised an exhibition and an artist talk as part of the Eastsplainers series. Nataliia Fotchenko, a Kastanje project manager, presented the cultural center to the university audience, spoke about implemented projects and invited the academic community to future collaboration.
The event began with a moving speech by Kastanje director Mariana Dzhulai, drawing attention to the war in Ukraine, the immense challenges faced by its people and the transformative role of art in making sensitive topics visible. As the curator of the exhibition, Mariana presented a collaborative work by Dutch artist Barro Donker and Ukrainian wool felting master Olga Tykhonova, underscoring unity and mutual support as central themes. She drew attention to a symbolic painting inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s “Battle of Anghiari,” linking historical heroism to modern struggles for freedom. Mariana expanded on how art can convey resilience, collective memory and the responsibility of cultural centres to communicate and support Ukrainian endurance during the war.
More about the project here
