The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) is pleased to presentBetween Voice and Silence, an international group exhibition on view May 1 throughJune 28, 2025. The exhibition brings together three artists, Katya Lisova (Kyiv), MatviiVaisberg (Kyiv), Ira Bondarenko (Ann Arbor), whose works in textiles, printmaking, ceramics, and fiber examine empathy, resilience, and the endurance of cultural identity against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine.

The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Ukrainian poet Maksym Kryvtsov(1990–2024), who was killed defending his country in January 2023, only months after the publication of his debut collection. His writing, which locates tenderness and humanity amid destruction, serves as a moral and artistic touchstone for the works on view.

Between Voice and Silence takes its title Maksym’s poem “In that space between Voice and Silence” and alludes to the liminal space that defines wartime experience and the territory between what can be said and what is rendered unspeakable. The exhibition reflects on the limits and power of human agency in the face of overwhelming force. The value of humanity lies in its capacity to transcend adversity by embracing compassion and keeping empathy and human connection alive in the most oppressive darkness.

Working across distinct media and generations, the three participating artists deploy Ukrainian visual vocabularies to contest cultural erasure and affirm collective memory.

Image: Katya Lisova, Old Chestnut (Старий каштан), 2024 - 2025, 2’(W) x 3' (H)