Brussels hosts an exhibition of Ukrainian art
Unfolding Landscapes was originally due to return to Ukraine after being exhibited in Copenhagen. However, the war made this return impossible. Brussels now has the chance to get to know 42 Ukrainian artists who are totally unknown to most of us. Or how something good and beautiful can emerge from a problematic situation.
In Unfolding Landscapes, a colourful collection of 80 paintings, photos, videos and more, 42 contemporary and mostly young artists from Ukraine show us how landscape is linked to the history and psychology of a country. There are images of vulnerable, threatened or currently forbidden places, as if the artists were anticipating an imminent catastrophe. Due to the war, the emphasis gradually shifted from an inspired hymn to the beauty of the land and its inhabitants, to their fragility.
After Copenhagen, the exhibition could not have dreamed of a better and more symbolic first venue than Brussels. This exhibition is also the first event set up by the young non-profit organisation Horizon 50/200, headed by Paul Dujardin who is preparing the Cinquantenaire Park for Belgium's 200th anniversary celebrations in 2030. The site is destined to become a Belgian beacon of science and art, and this first initiative is a good omen.
Discover Unfolding Landscapes at the Museum of Art and History in Cinquantenaire Park until 18 September. The exhibition could then travel to other European cities.