Piazza Ucraina: Solidarity Installation at Venice Biennale

Piazza Ucraina, a special project of the 59th Venice Biennale, was launched to give voice to Ukrainian artists and express solidarity against the Russian invasion. Curated by Borys Filonenko, Lizaveta German, and Maria Lanko of the Ukraine Pavilion, the installation was realized in collaboration with the Ukrainian Emergency Art Fund and the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, designed by Ukrainian architect Dana Kosmina. The space features a monument covered with sandbags, referencing the practice of protecting public art from bombings in Ukrainian cities. Located at the Spazio Esedra in the Giardini della Biennale, it was strongly supported by Biennale president Roberto Cicutto, who stated that they immediately supported the curators and artist Pavlo Makov, making everyone witnesses to their experience. Curator Cecilia Alemani noted that the Biennale's 127-year history has recorded historical shocks like a seismograph, and the installation aims to create a platform of solidarity for the Ukrainian people in the Giardini, among the historic pavilions built on nation-state ideologies. The curators emphasized that the piazza space embodies the balance between stability and fluidity, serving as a gathering point for the Ukrainian people.