Artivism Exhibition
April 22 – June 12, 2024
at qathet Art Centre
We welcome the art of activism and all that motivates the expression of the artist as the change agent.
Throughout history, art has served as a powerful medium of communication within the realm of activism. Art transcends language barriers and reaches audiences through its emotive resonance. Whether it is expressed in visual mediums, such as paintings and sculptures, or auditory forms such as music and spoken word, art has the ability to provoke new thought, deep feeling, powerful dialogue, and inspired action.
By shining a light on social injustices, advocating for marginalized communities, calling for an end to war, or challenging a society’s oppressive status quo, artists harness their creativity to ignite change and amplify voices that may otherwise go unheard.
Art not only reflects the world as it is but also out-pictures the world as it could be, serving as a catalyst for change and a beacon of hope in the pursuit of a more beautiful and equitable world.
ARTIVISM – ‘committing art’ that opens up possibilities for instigation and transformation.
Exhibition Dates: April 22 – June 12, 2024
Gala Opening: Earth Day – April 22 from 7 – 9pm
Closing Celebration: June 12 from 7 – 9pm
About the featured artwork
PUTIN’S INCONVENIENCE
by Gary Huculak
2022
acrylic airbrush on birch panel
22″ X 35″ (56cm X 89cm)
Artist Statement
My motivations and thinking for this painting were:
My paternal Grandparents emigrated to Canada from the Ukraine in about 1913 to escape religious, political persecution and extreme poverty at that time. Russia, as well as Poland and the Austro-Hungarian Empires were involved in subjugating the Ukraine people. Russia continues its efforts to annex Ukraine, a century later, claiming that the territory is part of the former Russian Imperial Empire.
The two-headed golden eagle represents Russia and forms part of the Russian coat of arms. I have replaced the crowns on the eagles’ heads with human skulls, and the scepter and orb held in the eagle’s claws with a Ukrainian Easter egg also called a ‘pysanka’.Pysanky were meant to protect Ukrainians in their part of the world. The eagles have broken this symbol and have started to devour the pysanka. In my thinking the eagle has killed an embryo representing unborn Ukrainians or even genocide.
The egg is coloured blue and yellow. Yellow represents the moon and stars, and in agriculture means good harvest. The blue represents the sky and good health. Both colours are found on the Ukraine’s flag.The symbols on the egg could have different meanings, but these are the ones I chose: Deer (prosperity), pine needles (health and stamina), sun or star (life, fortune and growth), ram (strength in the face of opposition, perseverance), ribbons (eternity) and crosshatching (divides good from evil and protects).
The stage on which the pysanka sits is being destroyed by Russian weapons. Putin hides under this platform, this idea was based on an image borrowed from Hieronymus Bosch’s ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’. The 1490s triptych’s right panel, the hell panel, has an odd ‘tree man’ image.
Finally, the image of a nuclear explosion. I am old enough to remember being told not to eat snow as a child because multiple powers in the world were testing their bombs and there was a real fear of radioactive fallout. This nuclear threat has been around us all of our lives and I find the threat by Putin to use it once again on innocent peoples is appalling.