Masha Reva and Ivan Grabko are Ukrainian artists. Their works are now presented in Berlin within the framework of “Under the Open Sky” — an ongoing series of events organised to support Ukraine and Ukrainian people in their brave and painful struggle against Russian military aggression in 2022, and to raise funds for the humanitarian organisations and civilian initiatives currently active in the country affected by war.
The first days were as if the saturation was partially reduced to a minimum. The colour of the sky remained in the gaps between the clouds and some sounds. I went outside and watched as people ran away, crashed cars on Yaroslaviv Val (one of the streets in Kyiv city centre), to somewhere, without stopping for a second. We left Kyiv the next day, also going somewhere, to the West, but not knowing exactly where.
The news was pouring in about how fast the war was spreading. Somewhere on the highway behind Berdychiv where cars were moving towards the Western border, there was a badly beaten car with a man inside on the left lane. He sat motionless with his head down to his chest. The following weeks felt like being under anaesthesia.
Our exhibition, ‘Under the Open Sky’ is aimed at attracting and maintaining attention to the war in Ukraine and raising funds necessary to end hostilities and expel the occupiers. The idea to make the exhibition was suggested to us by friends, Vasyl Hrogol and Khrystyna Skrypka, who had the opportunity to organise everything outside of Ukraine.
This is our new reality, in which we help each other, for us two, and altogether, acting as counsellor and spectator. Our reality is not like before. I think our role as artists and as people of our country is already changing, with each new day, decision, and action – the role is being formed right now. Who we will be after our victory depends on what we are doing now. After our victory, I want to rebuild our country together with everyone. We will do everything we used to put off for some indefinite moment in the future, which often doesn’t come.
The war caught us with packed bags. On February 24, we had plans to fly to Milan as I was scheduled to perform to Ivan’s musical improvisation the next day. Instead, we were woken up by Ivan’s mother with a call at 5:30 on that morning.
The rest of the day was spent thinking about what to do. By the evening, we jumped into a car of friends and left (Kyiv), only having 15mins to get ready. Our moods on what was happening were vastly different – I was in a panic, wanting to leave as far as possible from danger, while Ivan wanted to stay in Kyiv. We could say that we ended up in Uzhgorod on my initiative, periodically thinking about whether to go back or not.
Over time, I calmed down and realised that for an artist it is necessary to be inside events; this very painful but valuable time cuts off everything unnecessary, leaving only the essence. And we decided to express this essence in the way we can — through art. This is how the works for the ‘Under the Open Sky’ exhibition was born.
Art is now a communication tool that does not allow me to give up. This is an eternal battle, firstly, with me, what allows my psyche to withstand such a load. I think every Ukrainian should find their strong side to resist, as mine is to speak with the help of my work.
An artist in war can be anyone, but this does not stop them from being what they is in the first place – a chronicler of what is happening, reminding us of what we are still capable of feeling.
Our works were literally capturing the flow of news that followed us with disconcerting intensity. At some point, after the news of the mass rape of women and children by Russian soldiers, I pulled away, shifting my focus.
I thought about our land, sowing, which had to go despite the shelling. All this made me think about the power of the earth, the power of the seasons that come no matter what, about something more that is stronger than all of us. “We look at you” is a large work consisting of 21 portraits of Ukrainians, they all look at the viewer with eyes that know what war is.