“An exhibition “Show Your Documents…” — a curatorial project by Karazin University students — opened at the YermilovCentre”

On October 17, the Center for Contemporary Art YermilovCentre at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University hosted the opening of the exhibition “Show Your Documents…” — a curatorial project by master’s students of the School of Philosophy, Petro Chekal and Yurii Rassokha.

The exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the document not merely as a bureaucratic formality but as an instrument of memory and a cultural code of modernity. The authors view documentation as a ritual that acquires a sacred dimension, akin to religious or magical practices.

Welcoming remarks were delivered by Tetyana Kaganovska, Rector of Karazin University, and Nataliia Ivanova, Director of the YermilovCentre. “Today we feel incredible pride because we can already see the results of our students’ learning. It truly brings us joy to realize that our students, postgraduates, and alumni do not simply leave the university but remain within it to implement their own bold projects,” noted the Rector.

Many of the artists whose works are featured in the exhibition attended the opening, giving visitors the opportunity to speak with the authors in person, discuss creative approaches, and share impressions.

After the official part, a performance by Oleksii Chekal took place, serving as a symbolic continuation of the exhibition’s theme. During the event, the audience could participate in the performative process, joining in the collective reflection on systems of discrimination.

On October 18, Petro Chekal and Yurii Rassokha conducted a curatorial tour of the exhibition for everyone interested in learning about the creation history of each exhibit and how the artists’ personal stories and philosophical reflections on memory, identity, and documentary forms were transformed into artistic imagery.

The exhibition will be open until December 7, 2025, at the Center for Contemporary Art YermilovCentre, Karazin University (4 Svobody Square).