The Ukrainian National Museum in Chicago is launching "9,025 km," a group exhibition featuring 12 Ukrainian-American artists based in the city. The show presents 36 original works that explore the emotional and cultural distance between Chicago and its sister city, Kyiv, while addressing the ongoing trauma of the war in Ukraine. Participating artists include Yuliia Poliakova, whose work has previously been displayed in the offices of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, alongside Olena Diadenko, Andrii Antonenko, and others.
This exhibition serves as a significant cultural bridge, highlighting the role of the Ukrainian diaspora in maintaining national identity and raising humanitarian funds during wartime. By focusing on the "silent pain" of those living abroad, the project moves beyond mere documentation of conflict to foster empathy and psychological resilience. It also underscores the Ukrainian National Museum’s long-standing mission as a primary archive and guardian of Ukrainian heritage in North America since its founding in 1952.