The project “The House of Light: A Tribute to Polina Raiko” was presented at Ukraine House in Copenhagen, combining an outdoor multichannel video installation (January 31 – February 28, 2025) with an extended indoor exhibition (January 31 – May 31, 2025).
This unique initiative introduced audiences to the legacy of self-taught Ukrainian muralist Polina Raiko. Her painted house in Oleshky—an extraordinary example of naïve art inspired by folklore, religious symbolism, and deeply personal experience—was severely damaged following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in 2023. The project preserved Raiko’s artistic world through archival photographs, documentary materials and a VR reconstruction of her home.
The light installation transformed the harbour-facing balcony of Ukraine House into a virtual revival of Raiko’s murals, immersing viewers in her vivid imagery and symbolic language. The indoor exhibition expanded this experience with photographic documentation, written accounts, films, and an immersive VR tour captured before the destruction of the original site.
Visitors encountered Raiko’s artistic universe through a combination of visual storytelling and curatorial interpretation, gaining insight into her life, creative expression and the cultural significance of her work. The project underscored the importance of safeguarding Ukrainian heritage and demonstrated how art can preserve memory and meaning in times of loss.
The exhibition and installation were organised by Ukraine House in Denmark in collaboration with the Dutch-Ukrainian Cultural Center Kastanje and Ukrainian artist and photographer Kostyantyn Rudeshko. Curators: Mariana Dzhulaш (exhibition), Kateryna Stukalova (video installation). Supported by: Politiken-Fonden, Open Society Foundations. Ukraine House’s 2025 program is supported by the Ministry of Culture of Denmark and the Danish Arts Foundation.
