The unveiling of ‘Landentity’: Exploring the influence of landscapes on Ukrainian identity

Chas Pravdy - 03 October 2025 13:35

In Kyiv’s Ukrainian Diaspora Museum, a new exhibition titled ‘Landentity’ has been inaugurated, aiming to explore the profound relationship between natural and urban environments and their impact on personal identity.

This extensive exposition features works by seven Ukrainian artists and artists who delve into how landscapes shape individual consciousness.

The curator, Yana Pysanko, proposed a conceptual framework that encourages viewing personality through childhood memories of familiar scenery — the sea, forests, city streets, and distant horizons.

She emphasizes that the nature in which a person grows up fundamentally influences their worldview and values.

According to her, reconnecting with images of native lands can provide inner strength and resilience during times of change.The title ‘Landentity’ combines two English words: ‘landscape’ and ‘identity’.

Over the course of a year, this research project evolved into a major exhibition featuring 27 works by Ukrainian artists: Yevheniya Kogan, Tetyana Borys, Marias Prus, Vlada Lobus, Olena Kharakhulah, Anna Prydatko, and Anastasiia Grygorieva.

These artworks reflect different facets of the relationship between nature and perception.Additionally, Kyiv has opened another exhibition called ‘Callsign: Artist’ dedicated to Ukraine’s defenders.

The works are grouped into four thematic blocks — forest-steppe, water, coastal, and urban landscapes.

Created with various materials and techniques, they offer visitors a multisensory experience incorporating visuals, sounds, and scents, immersing them into a space that combines art, memory, and a sense of presence.A unifying theme in these artworks is the personal experience of relocation: some artists moved for education, others due to the ongoing war.

This shared experience has helped them reflect on which elements of the landscape remain vital to their self-identification, even as their environment changes.

‘Landentity’ prompts viewers to consider what shapes their sense of self and which images of home landscapes stay with them as they travel through the world.The project is supported by ‘Sontsevit’, a perennial plant nursery, and ‘Turbota’, a producer of conceptual candles and diffusers.

The exhibition is open from October 2 to November 2, 2025.

The ticket price is 160 UAH, reduced tickets cost 80 UAH, and the opening event is free of charge.

The museum’s address is Kyiv, Knyaziv Ostrozkykh Street, 40B.

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