Ukrainian art against discrimination and misanthropy - the Goethe Institute Bonn and Ströer support the artist collective Gareleya Neotodryosh with a Germany-wide exhibition in public space from 15.07. until 30.09.2022.
Staying true to the grassroot-approach of Gareleya Neotodryosh, the art shown on the digital screens of Ströer aims to provide new perspectives on Ukrainian art. The Goethe Institute Bonn supports the showcasing of topically selected artworks in the realm of discrimination, anti-fascism, diversity and more. By incorporating a variety of works ranging from collages, photographs to illustrations and more into the context of our daily life, this project raises awareness and encourages an environment of interaction between artist, art, and recipient.
Gareleya Neotodryosh (“a gallery that cannot be torn off”) was created in Lysychansk (Luhansk region) in an effort to establish new exhibition spaces for young and contemporary artists, where they won’t face conservative criticism or censorship. Garleya’s goal is to support young emerging artists from the Donbass region by providing them with a platform to showcase their works and encourage them to continue pursuing their art. Their motto: “Gareleya is open to everyone. No weekends, no breaks.” Thus, the grassroot-movement continues its activities during the war: national and international, digital, and analogue.
The collective's first exhibition emerged in a symbolic place: under the bridge between the cities of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk which was blown up by Russian-led militants in 2014, reconstructed in 2016 and destroyed again in 2022 during Russia’s invasion. When the founder of Gareleya Neotodryosh, Vitaliy Matukhno, put his artwork up on the concrete wall of the overpass, another artist noticed the works and added his own art. Vitaliy Matukhno got inspired to get even more people involved. When explaining the unnamed pop-up project to interested artists, he stumbled over his words, mistakenly saying “gareleya”, instead of the correct Ukrainian word “galereya” - the project’s unique name was born.
Since its launch in 2020, the pop-up initiative has already carried out 13 informal exhibitions, spotlighting almost 100 local artists. In 2021, a snapshot of existing exhibition pieces was published online - a publication supported by the European Union and the Goethe Institute Kyiv through the "House of Europe" programme.
Though initially founded to spotlight and unite artists within Eastern Ukraine, Gareleya Neotodryosh now wants to show the rest of the world that Ukraine has a thriving art community. This makes it not only an exhibition in the face of adversity but also a cultural statement of resistance against fascism and a sign of international solidarity. True to the name of the “gallery that cannot be torn off”, the artists of Gareleya Neotodryosh carry on with their work from Ukraine as well as other European countries by staying connected and continuing to link artists, institutions, and the art scene despite the ongoing war.
