Peace is War. Screening of Films by Mykola Ridnyi, Serhiy Popov, and Oleksiy Radynski

Friday – Saturday, November 7th – 8th, 2014, 19:00
Visual Culture Research Center (44 Hlybochytska Street (1st floor), Kyiv)

On Friday, November 7th at 19:00 the screening of films Fortress and Common Places by Mykola Ridnyi, as well as Souveneir by Serhiy Popov will take place at Visual Culture Research Center. In his film Fortress Mykola Ridnyi juxtaposes documentary shots made during the uprising on Maidan in winter 2013 – 2014 and in Yanukovych’s residence in Mezhyhirya with texts about European Middle Ages. In such a way, the author draws a parallel between contemporary post Soviet neo-liberalism and European feudal monarchy system. Common Places by Mykola Ridnyi is a multichannel video, which shows huge Eastern European city standing on the verge of war. The film analyses, how social and political turmoil in the country changes the perception of public space. Souvenir by Serhiy Popov is a documentation of events around the demolished Lenin monument in Kyiv and analyses the mechanisms of collective destruction.

After the screening the discussion with the participation of authors will take place. Moderation – Lesia Kulchynska.

On Saturday, November 8th at 19:00 the screening of films Integration, Referendum, and Ukraine Goes to War by Oleksiy Radynski will take place. The film Integration is the result of months-long observation of public manifestations during the uprising on Maidan. Reproducing a gradual escalation of conflict, the film questions the connection between democracy and violence, as well as political action and religious ritual. This short film covers the time period between the first violent clashes in Kyiv in early December 2013 and the militarization of society as a result of Russian aggression in March 2014. Short video Referendum is a concrete personal story filmed in Simferopol during the annexation of Crimea, which refers to the historical context of Russian invasion. Video Ukraine Goes to War was shot in Donbas in March 2014, and shows the early stage of civil conflict, which has not yet developed into a full-scale war.

After the screening the discussion with the participation of author will take place. Moderation – Vasyl Cherepanyn.

Information about authors:

Serhiy Popov – artist, member of SOSka Group.

Mykola Ridnyi – artist, curator, member of SOSka Group. In 2013 he represented Ukraine at Venice Biennial. In 2014 his personal exhibition Shelter took place at Visual Culture Research Center.

Oleksiy Radynski – researcher, documentary film maker. He is a member of Visual Culture Research Center and editor of Political Critique magazine.

Screenings take place in the framework of “Between Revolution and War” project with support from Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (Germany).

Visual Culture Research Center (VCRC) was founded in 2008 for the purpose of creating the interdisciplinary platform for analysis of the Ukrainian post Soviet condition at the intersection of art, knowledge, and politics. Since its inception VCRC has organized over 150 debates, conferences and seminars with the participation of Ukrainian and international researchers, as well as nearly 20 art exhibitions.

Visual Culture Research Center (44 Hlybochytska Street, Kyiv)

Events will take place with support from: Krytyka Polityczna (Poland), ERSTE Foundation (Austria).

Media partnership:

Contacts:
+38 096 492 96 00 (Nataliya Neshevets), +38 093 460 68 81 (Oksana Briukhovetska)
vcrc@vcrc.org.ua
www.facebook.com/vcrc.org.ua