The opening of Oleksii Yaloveha’s art project "Invincible Sun"

The war continues, bringing daily suffering and loss. Ukraine is fighting for its independence, defending its territorial integrity, and its right to build a free country in the future. Today, we are rediscovering our past, studying and preserving cultural heritage, and trying to draw as much attention to it as possible both within the country and abroad, as Russian aggression is aimed at the total destruction of Ukrainian spirituality and identity.

In his project, Oleksii Yaloveha (artistic pseudonym YALO) addresses the unique phenomenon of intangible cultural heritage — the traditions of celebrating Ukrainians' favorite holiday, Christmas.

During his work on the project, the artist created two mosaic sculptures installed in the public space of the village of Kuzemyn, as well as a series of paintings. The exhibition features photo documentation of the project, objects, paintings, and video art.

"This is a very positive and educational exhibition. It demonstrates the multifaceted talent of the wonderful artist Oleksii Yaloveha. The idea of the project was born at the Art Kuzemyn artistic residency, located in the picturesque village of Kuzemyn on the banks of the Vorskla River in the Sumy region. In this land, there is a local tradition — in which special Christmas cookies, a horse and a little lady, are baked and given to children. This tradition dates back to ancient, pre-Christian times, when the holiday was dedicated to the Invincible Sun. Such traditions are our cultural heritage, which we pass down from generation to generation, cherish, and preserve. This is our Invincible Sun — the thing that supports us and allows us to look into the past, for without the past, there is no future," commented Natalia Ivanova, Director of the "YermilovCenter" Contemporary Art Center, at the opening of the exhibition.

YALO is a versatile artist who works in various media and possesses the same "Vision" that allows him to see things from an unusual angle, finding the extraordinary in the ordinary and visualizing it. His abstract paintings, photographs, videos, and digital installations are always expressive, spectacular, and ironic, offering complete immersion into the artist’s reality, which is both real and imagined, blurring the line between the two.

We invite everyone to view the artist's works. The exhibition will run until November 2, 2024.