Ukrainian Pavilion Curators Evacuate Artworks Amid War, Prepare for Venice Biennale Against Odds

Curator Maria Lanko risked her life driving for six days from Kyiv to western Ukraine to evacuate fragments of Pavlo Makov's artwork 'Fountain of Exhaustion. Acqua Alta' for the Ukrainian Pavilion at the 59th International Art Exhibition in Venice, opening April 23, 2022. The curatorial team—Lanko, Lizaveta German, and Borys Filonenko—faced immense challenges after Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, with members sheltering in basements, managing humanitarian tasks, or preparing for childbirth while under attack. Makov's 1995 fountain, consisting of 105 bronze funnels arranged in a triangle, symbolizes resource depletion and was conceived in Kharkiv amid crumbling infrastructure. The pavilion organizers announced on March 8, 2022, that despite the war, they managed to evacuate the artwork fragments and plan to present it in Venice. Lanko, now in Italy, seeks a workshop in the EU to produce the fountain as designed by architectural partner ФОРМА. The team unequivocally opposes the presence of the Russian pavilion at the Biennale, arguing Russia should be disconnected from cultural events. They emphasize that for Ukraine, making exhibitions is a matter of cultural survival, as the art scene remains unseen internationally. Support is needed for production, catalog printing, and deeper representation of Ukrainian art. Lanko was interviewed by Denisa Tomková for ARTMargins Online, with the interview published March 15, 2022.