> Begin forwarded message: > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Visual Culture Research Center <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> > Date: 2017-02-08 20:02 GMT+01:00 > Subject: The attack on Visual Culture Research Center (Including video with > faces) > > > View this email in your browser > <http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=593be942b85c69f4d8741040f&id=b41171d0ad&e=5779ccc957> > > > The attack on Visual Culture Research Center: > Right Wing Radicals Destroyed The Lost Opportunity exhibition > by Davyd Chychkan > > On Tuesday, February 7, at 17:40, approximately fifteen people broke into > Visual Culture Research Center. They beat up the security guard, destroyed > the exhibition The Lost Opportunity by Davyd Chychkan, stealing four artworks > and heavily damaging others. > > Dedicated to the war and post-Maidan situation in Ukraine, the exhibition The > Lost Opportunity by Davyd Chychkan had opened in Visual Culture Research > Center on Thursday, February 2. Threats to the artist and organizers, as well > as calls to destroy the exhibition were subsequently posted on the social > media pages of the far right groups and bloggers. > > In order to guarantee safety of the visitors and the artist, we cancelled > Davyd Chychkan’s guided tour of the exhibition on Saturday, February 4 and > closed it for the weekend. Despite the announced cancellation of the tour, > and closed doors of the exhibition, a group of young men gathered in front of > the VCRC entrance door (see photo > <http://vcrc.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=593be942b85c69f4d8741040f&id=c5e3bbb414&e=5779ccc957>). > They severely beat up a passerby and attacked two visitors using a pepper > spray. One of the visitors filed a complaint to the police. The mentioned > individuals also broke and torn off the plastic sign and the advertising > banner of the exhibition. > > On Tuesday, February 7 the exhibition was reopened in accordance with its > regular working hours. A young man was noticed observing the entrance doors > to the exhibition. A member of VCRC asked whether he wanted to come in and > the man answered that he would come back later. Because of his suspicious > behavior and outfit that is typical for the far right subculture, the workers > of Visual Culture Research Center called the police and closed the door, > opening it only for each visitor. > > Around 17:40 the security guard who was working at the exhibition together > with the VCRC members, opened the door for three visitors to come in. About > 15 people broke into the premises with their faces covered. They used a > pepper-spray, encircling the security guard, threatening him, and demanding > to lay on the ground. Eventually, several persons attacked the guard, > punching him in the face, while the rest of the group were destroying the > artworks and filming the action using their mobile phones. Trying to break > into the office room, where VCRC members stayed behind closed door, yet not > successfully, the group left, taking several artworks and books from the > exposition. > > Please find a link to the video surveillance camera inside the VCRC gallery > space. (Link > <http://vcrc.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=593be942b85c69f4d8741040f&id=cbfd1b0b32&e=5779ccc957>) > > Among the graffiti the attackers made on the walls, there is a trident (the > emblem of Ukraine) that is shaped as a Celtic cross, proving that it was the > neo-Nazis who carried out the attack. Until now, none of far-right groups in > Ukraine or Russia claimed responsibility for the attack. > > The police opened criminal investigation under Article 296 of the Criminal > Code of Ukraine as "a hooligan act committed by a group of persons" that > could be reclassified. > > The exhibition presented ten graphic paintings by Davyd Chychkan. Four were > stolen, while three were completely destroyed. Only two works survived the > attack and one was slightly damaged. We preliminary estimate the losses of > works at 6 000 dollars. The damage of the Center (broken walls, destroyed > protective shield, a broken heater, etc.) are estimated at 1 500 dollars. > > The Lost Opportunity exhibition by Davyd Chychkan, organized by the Visual > Culture Research Center, is dedicated to the war and post-Maidan situation in > Ukraine. The Lost Opportunity poses the questions that have been in the air > for more than three years: what was this event and what it could have become? > According to the artist, Maidan is a lost opportunity for the Ukrainian > society to accomplish a social revolution, which would mean not only to > defend dignity, but rather finally gain dignified living conditions. In > series of graphic works Davyd was exploring the reasons and reflecting on the > consequences of this loss, among which the so-called "decommunization" > phenomenon that crystallizes the traits of counterrevolution in the context > of political ignorance. > > It is not for the first time that Visual Culture Research Center is being > attacked. In September 2014 not far from Kontraktova Square metro station the > head of VCRC Vasyl Cherepanyn was severely beaten up by seven people in > camouflage gear. In May 2012 two young men attacked the exhibition A Room of > My Own by Yevgenia Belorusets, dedicated to the every day lives of queer > families in Ukraine, and beaten up the security guard. In December 2010 the > participants of Anti-Yolka rally on the occasion of International Human > Rights Day within the framework of The Ideology of Difference conference were > attacked at a metro station. In November 2010 the unknown masked individuals > attacked the participants of the event dedicated to the Transgender Day of > Remembrance by throwing a smoke pellet. None of these incidents has ever been > investigated. > Visual Culture Research Center (VCRC) was founded in 2008 as a platform for > collaboration between academic, artistic, and activist communities. VCRC is > an independent initiative, which is engaged in publishing, artistic > activities, research, organization of public lectures, discussions, and > conferences. In 2015 Visual Culture Research Center received the European > Cultural Foundation’s Princess Margriet Award. Visual Culture Research Center > was also an organizer of The School of Kyiv – Kyiv Biennial 2015 > <http://vcrc.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=593be942b85c69f4d8741040f&id=06688c4e8e&e=5779ccc957>. > > Supported by: ERSTE Stiftung and Charles Stewart Mott Foundation > > > > > <http://vcrc.us6.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=593be942b85c69f4d8741040f&id=70550a0297&e=5779ccc957> > VCRC > <http://vcrc.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=593be942b85c69f4d8741040f&id=3ae0188dc9&e=5779ccc957> > > <http://vcrc.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=593be942b85c69f4d8741040f&id=79e8caa6a2&e=5779ccc957> > vcrc.org.ua > <http://vcrc.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=593be942b85c69f4d8741040f&id=72604ea132&e=5779ccc957> > <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > Це повідомлення, що містить інформацію про наступні події у Центрі візуальної > культури. Якщо не бажаєте отримувати цю розсилку, будь ласка, повідомте про > це за адресою: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > Our mailing address is: > Visual Culture Research Center > 44, Hlybochytska Street > Kyiv 04071 > Ukraine > > Add us to your address book > <http://vcrc.us6.list-manage.com/vcard?u=593be942b85c69f4d8741040f&id=302b0a5302> > > > > -- > Agnieszka Wiśniewska > Krytyka Polityczna > > --- > Stowarzyszenie im. Stanisława Brzozowskiego > ul. Foksal 16, p. II, 00-372 Warszawa > tel.: (+48) 505 725 729 <tel:+48%20505%20725%20729> > > www.krytykapolityczna.pl <http://www.krytykapolityczna.pl/> > www.politicalcritique.org <http://politicalcritique.org/> > > @WashaAgnes <https://twitter.com/WashaAgnes> > > > > -- > <> <>Vitalie Sprinceana <> > > Coordonator de Proiecte, > > Asociatia Tinerilor Artisti "Oberliht" > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > <http://www.spranceana.com/>
_______________________________________________ oberlist mailing list [email protected] https://lists.idash.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/oberlist
