Works by 10 Ukrainian Artists Presented in the US: International Exhibition “Modern Freedom” Opens in New York
In New York, the large-scale international exhibition Modern Freedom has opened, presenting works by ten Ukrainian artists alongside artists from Central and Eastern European countries. At the invitation of the Polish Pilecki Institute (US branch), the Ukrainian Pylyp Orlyk Foundation organized the presentation of Ukrainian art among more than 80 contemporary European artists.
The Ukrainian exposition brought together works by those who are today shaping a new visual language for processing the war and the contemporary Ukrainian experience. Among the works on display: the project “Palianytsia” by Zhanna Kadyrova, the audiovisual installation “Explosions Near the Museum” by Yarema Malashchuk and Roman Khimei, the kinetic installation “When the Fog Clears” by Serhiy Petliuk, the textile work “Mara” by Dasha Chechushkova, a series of canvases by Krystyna Melnyk and Natalia Lisova, as well as other works dedicated to themes of war, memory, loss of home, and the preservation of human dignity.
Voices of the Participants
“The presence of the work in New York right now is a powerful artistic statement in the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion. I am convinced that art remains one of the few sincere forms of expression in the modern world, so it is extremely important to speak about Ukraine through art in an international context. I hope that these works, like fragments of memory torn from the past, will convey my love for every piece of my homeland,” said Natalia Lisova.
Since 2022, Sofiia Kozlova has been weaving camouflage nets, choosing fabric colors based on photographs of terrain from the front line sent by soldiers. In the work “Lines of Horizons,” the textile horizons of these nets alternate with real horizons of de-occupied Kherson fields, Donetsk slag heaps, and liberated outskirts of Kharkiv.
“In my work I speak about the theme of volunteering — specifically, the making of camouflage for our army. These lines of the horizon are the fabric from which we weave camouflage nets. Most of the materials have their own history: a fallen soldier’s uniform, t-shirts passed on by servicemen, children’s clothing, fabrics brought by volunteers. And also — photographs of the fields of de-occupied Kherson region, the slag heaps of Donetsk region, and liberated Kharkiv region,” said Sofiia Kozlova.
Words from the Foundation
At the opening, Ihor Kharchenko — Senior Consultant of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine — stated:
“The opening of this exhibition is yet another confirmation that Ukraine exists, has existed, and will exist — not only as a state that today is defending its freedom and driving out the occupier, but also as a country of strong and deep culture. The concept of the exhibition highlights the shared cultural space of Central and Eastern Europe while emphasizing the distinctiveness of Ukrainian culture, which the world must know — including in cultural centers such as New York. Today, Ukrainians must speak about themselves especially loudly, so that the world does not grow accustomed to the daily news of war and remembers: in Ukraine, the struggle for freedom and justice continues. Despite Russian aggression, Ukraine continues to exist as a country of high culture and strives to make this known to the world.”
Yaryna Yasynievych, Program Director of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, noted: “The exhibition will feature works by 10 Ukrainian artists: Liya and Andriy Dostliev, Zhanna Kadyrova, Yarema Malashchuk and Roman Khimei, Sofiia Kozlova, Dasha Chechushkova, Natalia Lisova, Krystyna Melnyk, Serhiy Petliuk. Works created by people living through war are an inseparable part of the contemporary European space of freedom, which is being defended against the brutal advance of authoritarianism. For us and our partners, it was important to present this Ukrainian perspective among more than 80 selected artworks from across Europe.”
Pylyp Orlyk Foundation — Ukraine’s Partner
The Pylyp Orlyk Foundation became Ukraine’s partner in the exhibition and ensured the inclusion of Ukrainian artists’ works in the international exposition. Exhibition curators: Piotr Franaszek, Tomasz Koudela, and Wojtek Radtke. Curators from the Ukrainian side — Program Director of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation Yaryna Yasynievych and Foundation Culture Initiatives Lead Olha Salo.
About the “Modern Freedom” Exhibition
Modern Freedom is an international art project dedicated to themes of freedom, memory, and the experience of life after totalitarianism. The exhibition features artists from Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Germany, and other Central and Eastern European countries.
As we previously reported, the exhibition runs from May 19 to August 31, 2026, at the Pilecki Institute in the United States. The project organizers are the Pilecki Institute USA and the University of Ostrava. Partners from the Ukrainian side are the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Humanitarian and Information Policy, and the Odesa National Fine Arts Museum.
Media representatives can download photos and videos from the event here.
