Holodomor commemoration day/ Closing of the “Heart of Earth” exhibition/ “From Holodomor to hybrid warfare: the enduring weaponization of hunger” artist talk and discussion with the artist Andrii Dostliev and researchers Olena Braichenko and Maria Banko.

Following the candle-lighting ceremony, at 15:30, visitors are invited to join an artist talk and discussion titled “From Holodomor to Hybrid Warfare: The Enduring Weaponization of Hunger.” This event is part of the parallel program of the “Heart of Earth” exhibition, on view at Ukraine House in Denmark from August 23 to November 24, 2024. This major wartime exhibition was originally conceived by Mystetskyi Arsenal, a flagship Ukrainian cultural institution, in response to the devastating impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Through evocative works by 17 contemporary Ukrainian artists, the exhibition explores themes of colonial exploitation, the weaponization of food, and the environmental destruction caused by war. It also highlights Ukraine's critical role in global food security—a topic of growing urgency amidst Russian attacks on grain export infrastructure, dam destruction, and an escalating ecological crisis.

To mark the closing of the exhibition, the artist talk and discussion will focus on Russia’s consistent use of food as a weapon and a tool of social and political leverage. Participants will explore how culture reflects and resists such weaponization, and how grassroots Ukrainian initiatives are transforming food - its preparation, consumption, and culinary traditions - into a powerful antidote. These projects not only counteract Russian efforts to erase Ukrainian cultural identity but also resist food-based blackmail through art and activism.

Speakers:
Andrii Dostliev is a Ukrainian artist, curator, and photography researcher. He graduated from the School of Form (Poland) and Donetsk National Technical University (Ukraine). He lives in Poznan, Poland. His work explores the themes of trauma, collective and personal identities, and the limitations of photography as a medium. He works with photography, video, drawing, performance and installation. He is the author of several photo books. Together with Lia Dostleva, he represented Ukraine at the Venice Biennale in 2024. Their project “I still feel sorry when I throw away food — Grandma used to tell me stories about the Holodomor” is a part of the “Heart of Earth” exhibition.

Olena Braichenko
Researcher of gastronomic culture, PhD in History. Founder and visionary of the
popular science project about Ukraine's gastronomic culture, https://yizhakultura.com/. Editor-in-chief and founder of the gastronomic literature publishing house їzhak. Presenter of the radio Kultura, expert of the television project Breakfast 1+1 and Morning.Marathon. Author of books: “Ukrainian Feast” and the publication on culinary diplomacy ”Ukraine. Food and History”.

Maria Banko
Food journalist and food researcher. She is the author of the War Cookbook project, which focuses on the everyday life of Ukrainians during the war and wartime food practices.

The project is implemented by Ukraine House in Denmark and Mystetskyi Arsenal with support of IZOLYATSIA foundation, Trans Europe Halles and Malý Berlín and co-financed by the ZMINA: Rebuilding program, created with the support of the European Union under a dedicated call for proposals to support Ukrainian displaced people and the Ukrainian Cultural and Creative Sectors. With the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of Denmark, Politiken- Fonden. Ukraine House in Denmark is a cultural diplomacy institution with a mission to deepen Ukrainian Danish cooperation in the field of culture and creative industries for sustainable peace in Europe. Based in Gammel Dok, Copenhagen, since February 2023, an international volunteer team held 5 exhibitions of Ukrainian contemporary art, architecture, design, and photography, organized more than 70 panel discussions involving 100+ Ukrainian and Danish parliamentarians, journalists, artists, architects and other opinion leaders, integrated Ukrainian content into leading Danish cultural platforms, such as the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, Copenhagen Architecture Festival, Kulturnatten, 3daysofdesign, Copenhagen Photo Festival, etc. Since July 2023, the Ukraine House has become an associate member of the Association of Cultural Institutes of EU countries.

Please register here https://forms.gle/ggxC5WjpTAVmxNXV9
Zoom-link https://ucph-ku.zoom.us/j/67308317210?pwd=8leernmqk5GbdNwQaIytj2eiY8oRnf.1
For media inquiries, please contact:
info@ukrainehouse.dk