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A photographic collage by the artist Zenhya Tramvay from Bakhmut -
A photography by the artist Natalia Kolesnikova from Luhansk -
Visitor of the exhibition in Lyssychansk. Artist: Yegor Gordotko -
Visitor of the exhibition in Rivne. Artist: Vitaliy Matukhno -
An illustration by the artist Sergey Simutin from -
Exhibition in an abandoned amphitheatre in Rivne. Above: “Go forward” -
A collage by the artist Elizabeth Makhrova from Lyssychansk -
Founder Vitaliy Matukhno guides visitors through the exhibition in Rubizhne -
Digital infoscreens at a train station. Artist: Masha Vyshedska, Bakhmut
Ukrainian art against discrimination and misanthropy – the Goethe-Institut Bonn and STRÖER support the art collective Gareleya Neotodryosh with an exhibition in public spaces all over Germany from 15.07.-30.09.22.
УКРАЇНСЬКАStaying true to the grassroot-approach of Gareleya Neotodryosh, the art shown on the digital screens in cooperation with STRÖER aims to provide new perspectives on Ukrainian art. The Goethe-Institut Bonn supports the showcasing of topically selected artworks in the realm of discrimination, anti-fascism, diversity and more. By incorporating a variety of works ranging from collages, photographs to illustrations and more into the context of our daily life, this project raises awareness and encourages an environment of interaction between artist, art and recipient.
Gareleya Neotodryosh (“a gallery that cannot be torn off”) was created in Lysychansk (Luhansk region) in an effort to establish new exhibition spaces for young and contemporary artists, where they won’t face conservative criticism or censorship. Garleya’s goal is to support young emerging artists from the Donbas region by providing them with a platform to showcase their works and encourage them to continue pursuing their art. Their motto: “Gareleya is open to everyone. No weekends, no breaks.” Thus, the grassroot-movement continues its activities – national and international, digital and analogue.
The collective's first exhibition emerged in a symbolic place: under the bridge between the cities of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk which was blown up by Russian-led militants in 2014, reconstructed in 2016 and destroyed again in 2022 during Russia’s invasion. When the founder of Gareleya Neotodryosh, Vitaliy Matukhno, put his artwork up on the concrete wall of the overpass, another artist noticed the works and added his own art. Vitaliy Matukhno got inspired to get even more people involved. When explaining the unnamed pop-up project to interested artists, he stumbled over his words, mistakenly saying “gareleya”, instead of the correct Ukrainian word “galereya” – the project’s unique name was born.
Since its launch in 2020, the pop-up initiative has already carried out 13 informal exhibitions, spotlighting almost 100 local artists. In 2021, a snapshot of existing exhibition pieces was published in a Zine – a publication supported by the EU programme "House of Europe", implemented by the Goethe-Institut Ukraine.
Wherever Gareleya Neotodryosh pops up, empty spaces are filled with new meaning and transformed into places where people can come together and experience art in an unconventional context. It thereby creates a sense of community, not only among young artists from all over Ukraine, but also within the cities and communities it visits. “I felt that the gallery became a platform for uniting those who live, work and create here [Eastern Ukraine].” artist Yehor Gordotko told the Kyiv Post.
Though initially founded to spotlight and unite artists within Eastern Ukraine, Gareleya Neotodryosh now wants to show the rest of the world that Ukraine has a thriving art community. This makes it not only an exhibition in the face of adversity but also a cultural statement of resistance against fascism and a sign of international solidarity. True to the name of the “gallery that cannot be torn off”, the artists of Gareleya Neotodryosh carry on with their work from Ukraine as well as other European countries such as Germany, Poland and Georgia. Further exhibitions are also planned in Serbia and Kosovo. The collective is staying connected during the war and continues to link artists, institutions and the art scene.
The artworks will be exhibited until the end of September in public spaces of the following cities: Berlin, Bielefeld, Bonn, Bremen, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Essen, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Halle, Hamburg, Cologne , Leipzig, Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart.