Heat Ukraine Now
“Heat Ukraine Now” Ukrainian Contemporary Art Charity Exhibition and Sale
Part of the Kyiv Art Sessions in the Old Sessions House (Winter Season)
1-2 February 2025
London, UK
In the heart of winter, as temperatures plummet and challenges mount, the "Heat Ukraine Now" exhibition and sale of the works of Ukrainian contemporary artists will stand as a beacon of solidarity and support for Ukraine, and showcase genuine and life-affirming art, created by emerging and established creators. The highlight of this initiative is a charity exhibition and sale of exceptional artworks by Ukrainian artists, culminating in a closed auction.
The guests at the event will have a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the pulse of Ukraine nowadays: its colours, emotions, energy, and the unwavering determination of its people, despite all the challenges the country has to face.
Moreover, the two-day event will raise vital funds to restore warmth and functionality to homes, hospitals, military medical facilities, and other critical infrastructure damaged by Russian aggression. By purchasing a piece of art, attendees not only gain a unique, meaningful creation to enrich their lives but also deliver warmth and hope to Ukrainians — both literally and symbolically.
Taking place during the Kyiv Art Sessions Festival at the Old Sessions House in London, this event invites visitors to experience the resilience, creativity, and hope of the Ukrainian people through art.
Event Agenda
Saturday, 1 February 2025
15:00 – 16:30 Guided Tour to introduce guests to the artworks on display.
17:00 – 18:00 Panel Talk featuring thought leaders to discuss the intersection of art, culture, and humanitarian aid.
18:15 – 19:00 Close Auction of exceptional artworks to raise funds for relief efforts.
19:30 – 21:00 Classical Music Concert, performed by Bohdana Pivnenko and Anna Khmara.
Sunday, 2 February 2025
15:00 – 16:30 “People of Steel” documentary screening, dir. Serhii Fomenko.
17:00 – 18:00 Panel Talk with the Director of the documentary Serhii Fomenko.
18:30 – 19:30 Live Acoustic Music Performance by Serhii Fomenko.
Featured Artists and Works
The exhibition and sale will showcase an impressive lineup of Ukrainian artistic talent, including:
- Oleksandr Dubovyk: A pillar of the Ukrainian avant-garde and a prominent figure in the history of Ukrainian contemporary art, a representative of the unofficial art of the Soviet era, or "the underground", the bearer of the “National Legend of Ukraine” honour. The artist creates artworks on the borderline of figurative and non-figurative art.
- Ganna Kryvolap: A Kyiv-based famous artist, that creates vibrant works with the horizons of the Ukrainian capital city. Created during the large-scale invasion, the works stand out for their sense of time. Through the plasticity, structure, and colour of the works, one can see the strong spirit and all the challenges that Ukrainians, Kyiv city, and the country are going through during the ongoing war of Russia against Ukraine.
- Olena Ryzykh, Davyd Sharashydze, and Oleksiy Belusenko: Established Ukrainian contemporary artists.
- Emerging Talents: Artists from the acclaimed “Echoes and Visions” exhibition project, including Burenko Bohdan, Ellada, Feldman Sisters, Feros (Serhii Hrekh), Hrybovych Yehor x Kolotashvili Yevhenii, Kondakov Alexey, Kozynets Dmytro, Notuko (Natalia Brichuk), Podlyashetska Dzvinya, Sereda Taras, Shulipa Danya, Smolkina Daryna, SOC.I.A, Taraspense, and Vasylenko Maria.
Art Photography
The exhibition will also feature significant photographic works, including those created by:
- Serhii Mykhalchuk: Ukrainian and international director of photography and photographer, a winner of the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and dozens of international awards for best cinematography. Serhii Mykhalchuk's photos are a creative reflection of the heroic struggle of the Ukrainian people for independence and identity. The selection of art photography by Mykhalchuk includes images of intense events – Kyiv and the surrounding region in the spring of 2022, the severe missile terror on the capital in the latter half of 2022, devastating attacks in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, line of contact: every photograph is a visual story, a page of history, each art piece is hand-signed by the author.
Check out the full catalogue.
Unique War Fragments
The War Fragments Museum unique war artifacts encased in transparent cubes, offering a powerful visual representation of the war’s impact on human lives. Each cube serves as a testimony to survival and the personal stories of those affected by the ongoing war.
The Closed Charity Auction
Exclusive artworks will be offered at a close auction, providing art collectors and patrons with an opportunity to acquire selected pieces while contributing to a meaningful cause.
The two-day exhibition and sale runs within the Kyiv Art Sessions Ukrainian Art festival and will feature a programme of cultural and artistic events. Highlights include a classical music concert on Saturday, 1 February, showcasing the works of outstanding Ukrainian composers performed by Bohdana Pivnenko, known as the “first violin” of Ukraine, and Anna Khmara, one of the country’s finest pianists. On Sunday, 2 February, the programme continues with the “People of Steel” documentary screening and acoustic live performance by Serhii Fomenko. Additionally, panel talks with thought leaders will explore the intersection of art, culture, and humanitarian aid.
The People of Steel project focuses on the heroic defense of Mariupol, Ukraine, the armed confrontation with Russia during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It highlights the Ukrainian defenders' sacrifices, the challenges faced by prisoners of war, and the urgent need for international attention to secure their release. Directed by Serhii Fomenko, a Ukrainian musician and cultural figure, a member of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Force since the full-scale Russia’s invasion in 2022, who has extended his creative work into the realm of filmmaking, the documentary aims to raise awareness and prompt action against violations of human dignity in captivity.
Funds raised during the event will be used to support Ukrainians enduring the harshest months of winter, in a country steadfastly fighting for freedom and justice.
The target funds to which the proceeds from the charity event will be directed:
Insulate Ukraine is defending Ukraine against the cold. Since the start of the war, millions of windows have been blown out by bombs or bullets. Soaring energy prices and sub-zero winter temperatures make this an urgent problem as windows are a key component of good building insulation. Insulate Ukraine have created a new simple window design, that are triple-glazed polyethene windows designed to protect against the cold. To date they have installed over 36,000 windows across the frontline.
PDMSh is a mobile hospital of harbouring hope. It is the largest team of civilian medical volunteers who have been saving lives on the front of the Russian-Ukrainian war for more than 10 years now, evacuating the wounded and treating the sick. The past year, PDMSh has transformed not just into one of the most effective medical units of Ukraine's Defense Forces, but into a true laboratory (or design bureau) for frontline medicine. In 2024, in collaboration with manufacturers, they designed and built the world’s first medical all-terrain vehicle, the "Sherp," and the armored medevac "Dzhura." Next, they are setting their sights on creating a large-scale medevac vehicle based on the "Kozak" platform.
Join us in standing with Ukraine. Be part of "Heat Ukraine Now" and help bring warmth and hope to those who need it most this winter. Together, we can make a difference now.
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