The Pinchuk Art Centre in Kyiv has transformed its Venice Biennale presentation from a glamorous celebration of young artists into a somber exhibition responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This year's show, titled "Still Joy — From Ukraine into the World" (9 May-1 August) at the Palazzo Contarini-Polignac, features works by international artists like Tacita Dean and Julian Charriere alongside Ukrainian artists, as well as testimonials from soldiers collected by former marine Hlib Stryzhko. The exhibition explores how joy can persist amid trauma, with installations including pink scrolls bearing survivors' quotes, light box photographs of bombed interiors with rescued pot plants, and a sculpture of bells with displaced women's fingerprints.
The exhibition matters because it reframes the Ukrainian experience of war as both deeply personal and universally relevant, emphasizing that loss and resilience are not uniquely Ukrainian. By mixing international and Ukrainian artists, the show challenges the notion that war's emotional toll is confined to one nation. The Pinchuk Art Centre's shift from hosting celebrity guests to featuring President Zelensky and now soldiers' testimonies underscores how cultural institutions can adapt to serve as platforms for political and humanitarian messaging during conflict. The show's fairytale aesthetic juxtaposed with harrowing content creates a powerful commentary on the fragility of joy in extreme circumstances.