Nikita Kadan's 'Siren Sickle Satellite' at Kyiv's National Art Museum explores wartime identity and memory
Nikita Kadan, a Ukrainian artist, has launched the exhibition 'Siren Sickle Satellite' at the National Art Museum of Ukraine in Kyiv, where the permanent collection has been moved for safety from Russian attacks. His creations, which include charcoal drawings and sound installations, delve into the role of museums as places of memory and cultural loss. Among his significant works are 'Tryvoha (The Sirens and the Mast)' (2023) and expansive drawings such as 'At the Place of an Absent' (2025). Kadan also alludes to a bronze monument he created for the Setouchi Triennale in Japan, titled 'The Branch and the Stick (A Monument of Support)' (2025). His art confronts themes of freedom, danger, and historical violence, reflecting on the nature of artistic expression during wartime. An interview with him will be featured in the Summer 2025 edition of ArtReview.
Key facts
- Nikita Kadan's exhibition 'Siren Sickle Satellite' is installed at the National Art Museum of Ukraine in Kyiv.
- The museum's permanent collection has been moved to a secret location due to the Russian invasion.
- Kadan's work includes sound installations and charcoal drawings exploring museums, memory, and cultural erasure.
- The artist is creating a memorial for the Setouchi Triennale based on the Ōshima Seishōen Sanatorium in Japan.
- Drawings in the exhibition reference artifacts like the Demeter of Olbia bust and mosaics from St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery.
- Kadan connects Japan's history of leprosy segregation with Ukraine's current wartime reality.
- The exhibition features works such as 'Schekavytsia Mountain' (2025) and 'Sinnerman' (2025) reinterpreting Taras Shevchenko.
- The interview was published in the Summer 2025 issue of ArtReview.
Entities
Artists
- Nikita Kadan
- Taras Shevchenko
- Artur Snitkus
- Eugène Delacroix
- Giacometti
- Caravaggio
- Peter Hujar
- Walter Benjamin
Institutions
- National Art Museum of Ukraine
- State Tretyakov Gallery
- Setouchi Triennale
- Ōshima Seishōen Sanatorium
- ArtReview
- St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery
Locations
- Kyiv
- Ukraine
- Moscow
- Russia
- Ōshima
- Japan
- Seto Inland Sea
- New York