Catherine Gfeller is world famous artist and photographer, currently working in France. She started mastering visual arts in 80s and ever since regularly takes part in art fairs, such as ArtBasel, Kunst Zurich, Armory Show, la Fiac, Ljubjana Biennale and Art Bruxelles.
Her new exhibition Voices of Kyiv, hosted by Taras Shevchenko National Museum, isn't merely a photo collection, but a fusion of arts: here, photos, video, sound and text are combined to create full emersion into the city vibes. All images go beyond a documentary value, as each one is surrounded by its own story, created by the dwellers and tourists, public transport, architecture and the streets. Catherine Gfeller believes the city is the body and all these details like people and cars are veins of this body making it alive.
Read: Catherine Gfeller and Her Voices of Kyiv
The exhibition starts in a large and luminous space called Atrium, adapted to show photographic compositions as well as sound diffusions. Here, fifteen photo panels show the city going back-and-forth from reality to fiction. Khreshchatyk street, port area, bridges that connect the two banks, narrow streets of Podil, and Maidan Square resemble arenas where citizens merge in the urban scenery. Visual part is accompanied with the voices diffused by loudspeakers — these are the voices of Kyiv. They tell stories of the city and its buildings, recite poetry and sing switching from Russian to Ukrainian.
In another part of the exhibition, visitors are welcomed to anonymously express their vision of the city, using various materials left on a large table: pens, pencils, post-it notes and large sheets of paper. They can hang their notes, drawings or stick the post-it on the opposite wall. Curiously, the answers won't be thrown away, but collected — they will contribute to the exhibition blog.
Read: New Art and Cultural Spaces in Kyiv
The recent events of EuroMaidan revolution find its place in a merge of video and audio forms: the tapes diffuse passages taken from poems and slogans recorded during the revolution. This cinematic unit is created in form of musical score.
You can find more information on the event's Facebook page.
When: March 23 - April 11
Where: Taras Shevchenko National Museum
Photos provided by Catherine Gfeller.
'Voices in Kyiv' Art Exhibition by Catherine Gfeller
This spring Taras Shevchenko National Museum will an exhibition of works by Swiss photographer Catherine Gfeller. Inspired by long and winding wanderings and contemporary Ukrainian authors, the exhibition shows Kyiv from a whole new point of view, reflecting its history and identity as a city.
