Past Exhibitions

6 February 2025 – 27 April 2025

Vladimir Tatlin (Ukrainian: Volodymyr), the prominent avant-garde artist and founder of Constructivism, was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and lived and worked in Kyiv from 1925 until 1927. This pioneering exhibition recreates the artist’s Kyiv studio and chronicles the work made during this period within the museum space, depicting the actual environment in which his art was conceived and created for the very first time. Tatlin: Kyiv serves as an educational catalyst for the decolonization of Ukrainian art through the lens of Tatlin’s work, contributing to the preservation of Ukrainian history and cultural discourse.  

Tatlin’s illustration and design work with local Kyiv journals, book publishers, and theatre productions are highlighted for the first time. Additionally, the work of artists who studied under Tatlin at the Kyiv Institute of Art, where he taught a multi-disciplinary class that combined sculpture, film, and photography, are also on display. Tatlin: Kyiv reexamines a major gap in the discourse of art history to include Tatlin’s work of the late 1920s.

6 February 2025 – 27 April 2025

Ange Leccia, a renowned figure in contemporary video and installation art, explores themes of memory, place, and the interplay of time and perception. His work challenges viewers to reconsider how images shape reality, a perspective that gains profound relevance in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Leccia’s layered imagery and evocative soundscapes immerse audiences in sensory experiences that transcend traditional narratives. This resonates deeply with the visualization of war in Ukraine, where documenting destruction and cultural loss evolves into a powerful exploration of human resilience and memory. By blurring the lines between reality and imagination, Leccia invites reflection on history and its multifaceted narratives. In Ukraine, his work mirrors the complexities of a conflict that challenges official portrayals, transforming viewers into witnesses of a world in turmoil. His fluid visuals evoke the fragility of peace and the enduring strength of the human spirit.

Leccia’s focus on landscapes also highlights the shifting identities of war-torn regions. As military conflict alters physical, cultural, and emotional landscapes, his art becomes a poignant meditation on the loss of spaces and identities tied to memory.

Through his innovative approach to time, memory, and identity, Leccia’s work offers a vital lens for engaging with the ongoing war in Ukraine. His art serves as both documentation and reflection, underscoring the essential role of creativity in moments of crisis.

Leccia’s work has been exhibited worldwide, including at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Centre Georges Pompidou, the Guggenheim Museum, Documenta in Germany, the Seibu Museum in Tokyo, and the Hiroshima Art Museum. 

19 December 2024 – 23 March 2025

This exhibition showcases thirteen artists from the Museum’s permanent collection who acknowledge the versatility and impact of Ukrainian folk art tradition on their artistic practice, while striving for an innovative edge in designs that combine both functionality and beauty. The rich tradition of Ukrainian decorative crafts, including embroidery, weaving, wood carving, glass, and pottery, as well as such folk symbols as the tree of life or pysanky (Easter eggs), find their manifestations in the displayed objects in a thoroughly transformed way, as if looking through a contemporary lens. The featured artists, whether from Ukraine or the diaspora, share a common heritage. Their works represent the wide spectrum of materials typically used in contemporary decorative and applied arts, from textiles to wood, from ceramics to glass and stone. 

A key aspect of Beyond Tradition is its diversity of genres: a tapestry is in a dialog with filigreed ceramic bowls; abstract wood sculptures converse with glass vases; a textile artwork is juxtaposed with a stone sculpture with a shattered pysanka. Each artist presents their own unique way of reinterpreting the known cultural tradition to showcase new dimensions in contemporary designs.

27 September 2024 – 19 January 2025

The Ukrainian Museum presents a landmark exhibition and publication celebrating the work of artist Alexandra Exter. Titled Alexandra Exter: The Stage Is a World, the exhibition opens on 27 September 2024, and runs through 19 January 2025. Marking the first solo showcase of her work in North America, it offers a comprehensive exploration of Exter’s pioneering career from 1913 to 1934. Featuring over thirty paintings and works on paper, the exhibition highlights her early abstractions and avant-garde theater contributions. Through collaboration with Ukrainian and U.S. museums, as well as international private collectors, this survey delves into Exter’s influential contributions to theater and cinema, presenting both rare and iconic pieces beloved by art lovers around the world.

Dubbed the “avant-garde Amazon,” Exter was a fixture in European artistic circles during the early twentieth century, traversing Kyiv, Odesa, Paris, and Venice. Her oeuvre spans a multitude of mediums, including painting, graphic arts, book design, fashion, theater, and cinema. Progressing through various artistic movements, from cubism to constructivism and art deco, Exter’s artistic evolution was marked by continual exploration.

Alexandra Exter’s legacy endured, albeit with periods of obscurity, until a posthumous exhibition in Paris in 1972 reignited interest in her pioneering oeuvre. Yet, her rightful place in the history of abstract painting remains to be fully recognized, as does her Ukrainian identity.

This exhibition was made possible by the generous support of The Every Page Foundation, Self Reliance New York Federal Credit Union, and Gladys Krieble Delmas.

27 September 2024 – 19 January 2025

This exhibition furthers the Ukrainian Museum’s decolonization efforts and positions prominent artists of the early 20th century in the Ukrainian spotlight. Alexander Archipenko, David Burliuk, Alexander Bohomazov, Maria Syniakova, Vasyl Yermylov, Alexis Gritchenko, and others will be presented in the context of Ukrainian art and culture’s development, innovations, and traditions, which for decades were suppressed and appropriated by Russian imperialism. Volia in Ukrainian translates to freedom and also denotes willpower and a longing for freedom. This concept encapsulated the avant-garde movements in Ukraine, which are breaking free from Russian narratives and falsehoods more than ever before. The show will be on view from 27 September to 19 January 2025, concurrently with Alexandra Exter: The Stage Is a World. 

27 September 2024 – 19 January 2025

UKR|RUS, a sculptural work by Molly Gochman, invites us to question the devastating human cost and destruction caused by aggressive imperialism, and to celebrate the resilience of Ukrainians, their rich cultural history, and the future that so many are fighting to defend. Taking the shape of the Ukraine-Russia border as it is defined by Ukraine and recognized by international law, the work draws parallels between physical and metaphorical boundaries, explores the complex dynamics that exist around borders, and provides a space to center and reflect upon the ongoing struggle of Ukraine and its people.

Constructed using an assemblage of reclaimed wood, rubble, and various types of ground surface materials including marble, UKR|RUS recognizes the scars of conflict while simultaneously suggesting the possibility of rebuilding and healing. In the wake of major geopolitical events and the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Gochman’s sculptures serve as a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict and the suffering of those caught in the crosshairs of imperialism. By positioning parts of the bench in historically Ukrainian communities across New York City, UKR|RUS will be paired with programming at cultural institutions and organizations that support and exemplify Ukrainian culture.

The installation is on display alongside the Alexandra Exter: The Stage Is a World and Volia: Ukrainian Modernism exhibitions.

21 June – 08 December 2024

This unique exhibition of current and historical maps of Ukraine offers visitors a rare opportunity to delve into the country’s complex and rich history. By juxtaposing modern maps with those from centuries past, the exhibition promotes a deeper understanding of how Ukraine’s borders, cities, and landscapes have evolved over time – for example, by tracing the changing political boundaries of Ukraine, from the 1600s to modern-day independence, and witnessing the impact of historical events such as wars, revolutions, and treaties on the country’s geographical makeup.

The exhibition also features maps of Ukraine that provide a glimpse into the country’s cultural and ethnic diversity. These maps highlight the distribution of various ethnic groups, languages, and religions within Ukraine’s borders, thereby shedding light on the country’s rich tapestry of identities. Additionally, it will be augmented with a variety of rare and contemporary books focusing on the iconography of maps, major cities, and historic locations within Ukraine.

The exhibition serves as a valuable learning tool, allowing visitors to connect with the country’s past and present in a visually engaging manner. The current and historical maps provide an important perspective on Ukraine’s geographical, political, and cultural landscape, inviting viewers to explore and appreciate the country’s complex history.

7 October 2023 – 7 April 2024

For over 60 years, Maria Prymachenko created art based profoundly on her Ukrainian upbringing and wildly creative imagination. Despite having no formal art training, Prymachenko over the years was able to create a wide range of art: drawings, paintings, ceramics, illustrations, and even embroidered garments. She was known during her lifetime for her brilliantly colored and inventive scenes of animals – lions, bears, birds, horses, and strange behemoths – covered in riotously hued, almost psychedelic patterns. Additional themes included traditional village life, the Ukrainian landscape, and flowers. Always drawing on village traditions and later dreams for inspiration, Prymachenko also included creative critiques about various dramatic social events in her work. During the mid and late 20th century, she was Ukraine’s most beloved artist; her artworks have appeared on stamps and even the country’s coinage.

This exhibition at The Ukrainian Museum will feature over 100 paintings, unique ceramic works, bespoke embroidered blouses, wooden plates, and several children’s illustration books. The exhibition will highlight Prymachenko’s creative talent and visionary outsider esthetics born out of a history of traditional Ukrainian village arts and crafts movements. This will be the first exhibition of Prymachenko’s art outside of Europe.