Art residency “Zhovkva-Art-Kreminna”
8 – 16 November 2020
Zhovkva, Ukraine
The aim of the project “Art residency “Zhovkva-Art-Kreminna” is building a connection between the residents of Lviv and Lugansk through art and cooperative creative activity. The idea behind the project is to facilitate the acknowledgment of the cities Zhovkva and Kreminna as art and cultural centers by engaging the community and artists of various media.
This project was supported by the NGO Association of Cultural Initiatives together with the College Lugansk State Academy of Culture and Arts in the frameworks of the program “Let’s change the country together”, as well as by Zhovkva Regional State Administration.
The first part of the project was held in Zhovkva, Lviv region, where participants from different cities got to know each other, got acquainted with the city, and started to create. The program was highly topical and insightful, as its major part was devoted to excursions and lectures-discussions about the history and cultural heritage of the “ideal city.”
In Zhovkva the head of NGO “Association of Cultural Initiatives” and the author of the project Art residency “Zhovkva-Art-Kreminna” Kateryna Plechii gave a tour of the city, during which participants visited the Castle, city temples, synagogue. Kateryna highlighted the principles of building the “ideal city” and its special aspects.
Histories, researcher of the history of the Zhovkva Castle Nataliya Pieh put the participants in touch with the rich artistic heritage of Zhovkva. Together with an artist and culture expert Yaroslava Popovych, she presented to the participants the creative practice of the famous artist Yulian Butsmanyuk and his paintings on the walls of Holy Jesus Heart Church in Basilian monastery. In addition, the residents could learn the Jewish heritage from the historian, researcher of the local and city history Liana Blicjarska. An interesting piece of information about the researches and archeological excavations in Zhovka was provided by archeologist and local history expert Taras Ivanyshyn.
The art studio was located in the Basilian monastery in the premises of a former printery, which made the atmosphere of the art residency very special.
The artists’ stay in Zhovkva ended with the visit of the newly elected head of the Zhovkva community Oleg Volsky, who came to wish participants the best and promised to support the future projects.
The final exhibition, which is going to be held in Zhovkva in December 2020, will become the culminating stage of the project.
We hope this project will serve as a bridge to continue East-West dialogues and learn common culture and history.
