A sampling of press reaction (02/10/02)

A sampling of press reaction

by Olesya Ostrovska

KYIV - Between December 4, 2001, and January 10 of this year there were about 50 articles and items in the Ukrainian mass media about the "Brand 'Ukrainian' " exhibit, ranging from the unconditionally positive to extremely negative, published in such influential Kyiv newspapers and magazines as Den, Holos Ukrainy, Stolychniye Novosti, Argumenty i Fakty and PiK (Polityka i Kultura), as well as the tabloid press and Internet publications.

Oleh Sydor-Hybelinda, a well known critic, wrote the following: "Whether the organizers of the exhibit "Brand 'Ukrainian' " at the CCA in the Podil district intended this or not, it turned out to be an exceptional summary of 10 years of Ukrainian independence, a measure of the competitiveness of its products and their creators" (Stolychniye Novosti, No. 48, December 21-25).

The newspaper Den commented: "it was the Ukrainianness of the exhibited works that became a popular brand, a trademark for which there seems to be a need and a demand. In fact, in just a few days, it achieved a result which, in the last years, influential figures who appeal to "buy Ukrainian have not been able to attain." (Dmytro Desiatryk, No. 1253, December 18, 2001).

On the other hand, in PiK (Politika i Kultura) one reads: "The last large-scale project of the CCA, "Brand 'Ukrainian, ' " claims to address a global issue - to show or reveal a cultural phenomenon, a certain conglomeration of an intellectual creative product, a concentrated picture of ethnocultural thinking which can claim to be distinct from that which has been declared to be national as a category; that is, to fit completely into the demanding limits of the contemporary aesthetico-marketing system of values and to become, in the full sense, a 'brand.' But the whole thing bombed!" (Ida Vors, No. 132, January 15-21).

As to the opening of the exhibit, Mr. Desiatryk wrote: "The opening of the new exhibit at the Kyiv CCA was marked by tremendous interest from the mass media and an unusually large number of visitors. The organizers undertook to give the event a sensational flavor to provoke controversy and they succeeded in this. Practically all the influential newspapers and TV channels, many important politicians not to mention art critics of various qualifications, came to have a look at "Brand 'Ukrainian.' " To be exact, almost 2,000 people came to the opening, including politicians of various stripes, from Hennadii Udovenko to Viktor Pinchuk.

In addition, a lot of mass media attention was garnered by the advertising campaign organized by the Masoch Fund that focused on the promotion of a part of its installation - David Burliuk's portrait of Taras Shevchenko - and, at the same time, mystified the provenance of this portrait. Stirring up public attention to one or another question is often an artistic device used in the works of the Masoch Fund. In this case, the artists set off a storm in the Ukrainian media around the portrait of Shevchenko - in many important Kyiv publications, such as Dzerkalo Tyzhnia, Stolychniye Novosti and Kompanion, there were announcements about the exposition of David Burliuk's portrait at the CCA. This widespread publicity, in turn, provoked a discussion about mystification in art; in particular, questions about this issue were put to the curator of the exhibit, Jerzy Onuch, during television interviews on the 1+1 and ICTV channels.

To sum up, here is a quote from the Minister of Culture, Yurii Bohutskyi, who commented on the exhibit after it was visited by President Leonid Kuchma: "It's marvelous that unusual and exceptional events are taking place in the world of art. In my opinion, the Center for Contemporary Art is making an important contribution to our culture - every one of its projects is characterized by an innovative approach As minister, I have to say, that it is part of our ministry's policy to promote cooperation with independent art agencies. They bring a distinctive coloring to Ukrainian cultural life, enriching it. If our aim is to build civil society, then, naturally, this must be done not just by the state, but through consolidation." (Vlada i Polityka, No. 92, December 21-27, 2001).

(Translated by Oksana Zakydalsky)

Olesya Ostrovska is curatorial assistant at the Center for Contemporary Art in Kyiv.

| Home Page |