The “no-name ritual” is a metaphor for reflection on the experiences collected and lived through and the future. The project is about the importance of working with these experiences, the permanence and routine of this process and how it is an integral part of any journey.
The images are similar to the epic and important film for Ukraine and the reappraisal of its Soviet history, “Earth” by Oleksandr Dovzhenko. Dovzhenko endowed “Earth” with the symbolism of the mystical connection between the Ukrainian people and their land, arguing that man and nature were separated by collectivisation. In this way, Maria Proshkowska and Serhiy Morgunov look back to the past and re-evaluate their experiences.
Today, after the start of the large-scale invasion, the video has taken on a new meaning, as it makes the multi-layered connection between the Ukrainians and the Ukrainian land even clearer. About half of the filming locations in the Kyiv region were occupied by Russian troops in February and March and mutilated by tank tracks.
DOCK 20: Are you able to work artistically at the moment? How has your life changed because of the war? What are your plans? Maria Proshkowska: The war destroyed my entire life as it was before. I was forced to take my child to a safe place (we have been moving 6 times), to separate from my husband for an unknown period of time. I have not been home for almost a year. In the spring of 2022, my father suddenly died and I could not come to the funeral because I had no one to leave my son with in Bologna, and it was very dangerous to take him to Ukraine because at that time Russian terrorist forces were firing missiles at the railroad tracks. This made a painful hole in my soul, the size of Australia. I am actually a single mother trying to combine my artistic practice with my parental responsibilities and we are refugees. Now it is very difficult for me to create new projects, but I work a lot with what I have created recently. My son goes to school and attends a gymnastics club so most of my life is adjusted to his schedule. Here, in another country, on the island, I say to myself that I am a rock that has to stand no matter what, because I am the only person responsible for my son. I now have many exhibitions around the world, mostly group projects. But since everything happens distantly from me, I don’t feel like it’s real. I am working actively with my colleagues to create a British-Ukrainian platform that will combine both cultural and discussion components. Last week I applied to one of the UK’s best art universities, but I am still waiting for the result. To summarize, it is now possible for me to do important things but only when they do not require space for creation, sensitivity and deep dive into a problem or context.
D20: Your work refers to the 30-year independence of Ukraine since 1991. In fact, you are not much older than Ukraine. How did you perceive this historical change as a child? MP: I remember how happy my family was that Ukraine became independent. I remember the hungry years of the 90s, poor, full of humiliation and hopelessness, but that was my childhood, and in childhood we all find something to be happy about. So did I: nature, a lot of observations, the world of my dreams. I also survived terrible bullying at school because of my family’s extreme poverty. This is a trauma that I am still working with. As an adult was an active participant in two revolutions in Ukraine and was an active volunteer. I always remember my helplessness as a child and choose a different path – to act. I’m not afraid of change, which is probably why I decided to dedicate my life to art when I was 30. And maybe this is what will help me survive the war.
D20: I find it interesting that it was Ukrainian Vogue that dedicated a whole series of issues to Ukrainian independence, even before the current war. What role do you think pop culture, fashion and art play in Ukraine and its politics?
MP: I believe that today Ukraine is going through unique processes that are not found anywhere else in the world. We are witnessing and participating in an experience that, for better or worse, we have to live through. Making brave, unusual, sometimes crazy decisions, taking conscious risks. The emergence and rapid development of activism and the creative sector are impressive. We are witnessing the birth of a new civil society with a completely new social contract. Pop culture, media, and fashion are also affected by the changes. The shift in the pyramid of values intensifies social responsibility, leads to closer contact with the audience and an adequate response to the demands of today.
In my personal experience, everything has become less commercial, but more human oriented, as if you can touch it. Art, in my opinion, is actively engaged in the reflection and documentation which is extremely necessary for this time.
D20: In your works you often deal with the ground, the earth, the dust. What do you appreciate about this material?
MP: These are very basic materials, they seem to be the basis of everything. They are something from which I am growing. In addition, when you work with it, you seem to dive deeper into the context, because road dust for example is not a paint color you can buy in a store. It is something that has its own geography, history and structure.
D20: What stories does the soil of Ukraine tell?
MP: The story of the fighting for freedom and the story of hard work. Very general and very personal stories at the same time.
D20: In addition, you deal a lot with the emergence and transmission of knowledge understood as feminine. You work with your body and sometimes exhibit it. What is your intention with this artistic strategy?
MP: One of the reasons for the decision to be an artist was a sense of special responsibility to society and a feeling of power to provoke public and individual discussions through art. Art is an incredible force and it is a very beautiful, albeit difficult, way to change communities and the world. So I work with the topics that resonate with me the most. I can’t say that these are feminine topics because I think they are universal and acutely social. I use my body in a very utilitarian way, as just a material in my projects. I am interested in exploring the reaction of society and whether society is able to abstract from sexualisation and objectification at least in the moments of exploring art.
Maria Proshkowska was born in 1986 in Kyiv. After graduating from the National University of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, she studied at the Institute for Contemporary Art Problems in Kyiv. Her work deals with problems of gender research, the influence of trauma in society and questions of self-identification.