In Frame of Tydzień Ukraiński w Gdańsku IV_Український тиждень в Гданську IV
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“You turn into what you love the most”. This quote by the famous Ukrainian philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda has always fascinated me. In the modern world, where the visual experience is increasingly important, we all seem to be on a permanent battlefield, relentless struggle for our attention. Attention became currency. We pay with our energy, time, and at the end of the day, we pay with our lives. Once I have noticed that when people direct their gaze upwards, their faces suddenly light up with imperceptible clarity and joy. Preoccupation and agitation disappear. I have noticed that gazes directed sideways, down and around are almost always full of action and agitation. They seem to be overloaded with mundane necessities, struggles, and efforts.” -Serhiy Savchenko, Gdansk 2019
Savchenko Gallery is pleased to announce the new exhibition of photography, paintings and multimedia art by the Ukrainian contemporary artist Serhiy Savchenko. For the first time, the gallery space will be dedicated to the artist’s collection of photographic images of people looking up as well as video recordings of an artist taking photographic images. The exhibition’s focal point will be a 3.20 X 2.10 meters oil painting that has never been exhibited before.
In “You Are What You Look At” Savchenko continually returns to the theme of humanism and humanistic values in contemporary art. He reflects on the works of the famous French philosopher and art historian Georges Didi – Huberman as well as Ukrainian philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda who both have raised the question of the interrelation between the image, the viewer, the society and the society’s ability of self – reflection through images. The artists started the project in 2014 during the Parkours de l’art festival in Maison de Villard in Avignon, France, where he exhibited a hundred images of his French and Ukrainian friends looking up. The project has now been updated with the images of his Gdansk friends as well as paintings and multimedia.
text: Olena Grubb / Serhiy Savchenko
Photo from the opening
