An exhibition titled "Still Joy" opened in Venice during the preview days of the Biennale, organized by the Pinchuk Art Center in Kiev, showcasing Ukrainian art that responds to the ongoing war with Russia. The show features works by artists including Kateryna Aliinyk, Piotr Armianovski, Roman Khimei and Yarema Malashchuk, Zhanna Kadyrova, Alevtina Kakhidze, and Nikita Kadan, addressing themes of resilience, memory, and resistance. The Ukrainian Pavilion at the Biennale also centers on the conflict, with Kadyrova's work referencing the Budapest Memorandum. Many of these artists have chosen to remain in Ukraine despite the dangers, keeping the cultural scene alive.
This matters because it highlights how Ukrainian artists are using their work to document and resist the war, asserting national identity and memory in the face of erasure. The exhibition and related initiatives, such as the nomadic Kiev Biennial and international shows in Germany, Poland, and Spain, demonstrate sustained global attention to Ukrainian art and the importance of cultural resilience during conflict. The article underscores that the war has become a "co-author" of the artworks, making this a powerful example of art as both testimony and resistance.