Dia Kontaxis Film Spotlights George Voronovsky's Self-Taught Memoryscapes

Dia Kontaxis's short film 'George V.' illuminates the life and work of Ukrainian self-taught artist George Voronovsky (1903-1982). After surviving immense hardship during the Soviet era and Nazi occupation, Voronovsky immigrated to the United States in 1951. He eventually settled in a small room at Miami Beach's Colony Hotel, transforming it into a dense installation of thousands of paintings and sculptures. These 'memoryscapes,' crafted from found materials like wood, styrofoam, and aluminum, depicted idyllic, joyful scenes drawn from his Ukrainian youth. His work remained private until artist Gary Monroe discovered it by chance from the street. Monroe later facilitated its first public showing at Miami's Books & Books in 1986. The High Museum of Art in Atlanta mounted the artist's first major solo exhibition in 2023, cementing his place in American self-taught art history. Kontaxis's film features this exhibition alongside archival footage and interviews.