The Borderland Chronicles

“Flora of Ukraine” by Interesni Kazki, The Wynwood Walls Project, Miami, 2011.

While I’ve never considered myself to an expert on the subject of graffiti art, or even a huge fan of it for that matter, I’ve been fascinated with the Ukrainian graffiti art duo Interesni Kazki (Interesting Fairytales) since I stumbled upon their work on a building near the Kiev Pechersk Lavra grounds. In the typically drab country of Ukraine, it’s hard not to notice their work when you stumble upon it. The vibrant and colorful surrealist pieces are typically large and emblazoned on the side of a building. After finding that first one, I made it a personally mission of mine to track down as many as I could while running around Kiev on errands or while killing time with friends.

But Interesni Kazki isn’t just local; the guys have done pieces in India, Spain, Slovakia as well as many other places. Recently they visited the states to work on a project in Miami (pictured above) and exhibit their art at a gallery in Los Angeles.

If you like what you see here, and you have some time to kill, I highly recommend checking out the Interesni Kazki blog.

Interesni Kazki, Kiev, 2010.

Waone of Interesni Kazki next to one of his pieces in Kiev.

Aec of Interesni Kazki next to one of his pieces in Kiev.

Posted in Art, Culture, Kiev, Russia, Ukraine |

If there’s something Ukrainians born in the U.S.S.R. pride themselves on more than their mosaics, it’s their cosmonauts. So I wasn’t so shocked during a visit to Konstantinovka to find the sides of bloc apartments along aptly named Cosmonaut Blvd. adorned with mosaic images of Soviet cosmonauts, including the renowned Yury Gagarin – the first human in space.

The buildings, built sometime during the 1960s, have seen better days. Many of the tiles surrounding the mosaic images have fallen off, leaving the building with a sort of scarred look. But the mosaics themselves remain mostly intact, if a bit faded.

After nearly two years here, I’m afraid a lot of the novelty I felt upon my arrival has worn off. Few things surprise me anymore. I’ve slipped into a life of routine similar to the life I had back in Portland. I think this would happen if you stayed anywhere long enough. But when I come across things like these images, remnants of a strange past – in this case, a Soviet past – that sleeping part of my mind that was once awed by everything around him is awakened.

“I live in the former Soviet Union,” I thought to myself when I saw the mosaics. “Wild.”

Posted in Art, Culture, History, Konstantinovka, Russia, Soviet Union, Travel, Ukraine |

Crossing of the Dnieper. (Переправа через Днепр).

Political commissar. Stalingrad. (Политрук. Сталинград.)

Monument to the civilians killed by the Nazis. Kiev Region. (Памятник мирным жителям убитым фашистами. Киевская область.)

The photographer, Arkady Shaykhet.

Born September 9, 1898, in Nikolayev, Ukraine, Arkady Shaykhet grew up to be one of the most famous Soviet photojournalists and photographers of the 20th century. His photographs of The Great Patriotic War (WWII), including the series Two Views of Kiev, at the time were known as ‘artistic reportage.’

As a staff photographer for the Soviet magazine Ogonyok (Light), his photos were often used as cover art. In 1926, along with a friend, he started Soviet Photo. Beginning in 1930, he worked as a freelance photographer for USSR in Construction. The magazine was known for its progressive style, which included full-page photos and even fold-out pages. Each issue, published in Russian, English, French, German and Spanish, was an elaborate artistic creation. The magazine’s main role, though, was to inform readers outside the Soviet Union of the construction going on within it, and to portray the country as an emerging superpower.

Over the years Shaykhet’s images have been shown in galleries from Moscow to New York City. He died in Moscow, aged 59, on November 18, 1957.

You can see more of Skaykhet’s photographs here and here.

Posted in Art, Culture, History, Journalism, Kiev, Life, Russia, Russian, Soviet Union, Ukraine |

I came across this poster today and thought it was interesting for a couple of reasons. It was done by the well-known Soviet artist A. A. Kokorekin in 1943. He created a number of propaganda posters in the 1940s, during and after the Great Patriotic War (World War II), most of which I’ve seen. But I’d never seen this one. Also, I live in the region of Ukraine known as the Donbass – the industrial, eastern most part of the country.

The poster reads: “Donbass is released! Miner, revive powerful Donbass!”

Posted in Art, Culture, History, Russian, Soviet Union, Ukraine |

I spent this past weekend in Kiev, visiting my girlfriend. On Sunday we took a stroll through the city center. Remembering that a new exhibition had just opened at the Pinchuk Art Centre, we decided to check it out.

There always seems to be a line to get inside the place on the weekend. But in my experience it’s always been worth it. Besides being free, the museum does a great job of seeking out some of today’s most respected modern artists, as well as up-and-comers.

Some past exhibitions I’ve seen include the provocative Sexuality and Transcendence, the mind-expanding Your emotional future, a solo exhibition by Olafur Eliasson, and Blow-up, a solo show by Arsen Savadov as part of the РАС-UA project.

The current show, an exhibition of the 20 shortlisted artists for the Pinchuk Art Centre Prize 2011, showcases the work of Ukrainian artists 35 years old or younger. On the second floor there’s another exhibit: a solo exhibition by Cinthia Marcelle, the winner of the Main Prize of the Future Generation Art Prize 2010. Both are worth seeing, especially Marcelle’s large-scale textured pieces, one of which is an entire room of rolled carpeting. For that one, you must remove your shoes before entering.

No trip to the museum is complete without grabbing a cappuccino at the Sky Art Cafe. It’s all-white decor and sprawling view of the city center put you in a dream-like state.

Posted in Art, Kiev, Travel, Ukraine |