Ukrainian gallery Voloshyn Gallery represented Ukraine for the first time at one of the most prestigious international art fairs Frieze New York 2025, which took place from May 7 to 11 at The Shed in New York. The centerpiece of the stand was a solo exhibition "Kyiv Siren" by Ukrainian artist Nikita Kadan, who reflects on the experience of war, colonial violence and cultural trauma through contemporary art.
This was reported by Voloshyn Gallery.
In his new project, Kadan combines the mythological image of the siren with the contemporary reality of airstrikes in Ukraine. From an ancient creature that lures to death by singing to a loud signal of Russian missile attacks, the siren symbol becomes a metaphor for both destruction and resistance. In the artist's works, the siren figures are accompanied by black ellipses, similar to comic-book "speech balloons," which convey not a voice but a warning of death. At the same time, these forms take on the image of light - a ray, a symbol of potential that grows even through ruins.
Some of the works in the exhibition are made from pieces of roof pierced by shrapnel. Others - allusions to modernist and Soviet sculpture - raise the issue of the ideological struggle that continues in Ukraine's current confrontation with Russian imperialism. The project calls for a deeper rethinking of the consequences of colonial violence and the loss of cultural identity.
For reference: Nikita Kadan was born in Kyiv in 1982. He works with painting, installation, graphics and collaborates with architects, human rights activists and sociologists. He is a member of the R.E.P. group and co-founder of the curatorial association Hudrada. His works are in the world's leading collections, including the Centre Pompidou (Paris), the MUMOK (Vienna), the Pinakothek der Moderne (Munich), the ICA Miami (USA), and the National Art Museum of Ukraine.
Frieze New York is one of the most famous international art fairs, founded in 2012. This year's participation of Voloshyn Gallery was the historic debut of a Ukrainian gallery at this event.
Founded in 2016 by Max and Yulia Voloshyn, Voloshyn Gallery is one of the most active Ukrainian players in the global art market. The gallery participates in the world's leading contemporary art fairs, including Art Basel, The Armory Show, NADA Miami, Art Brussels, etc. In 2023 it will open a space in Miami, USA.
Author: Danylo Pievchev