The genesis of the idea of freedom as a fundamental principle of human existence goes back to the ancient history of human civilization. The problem of freedom is a leitmotif in the works of the greatest philosophers of all time. A deeper study of this phenomenon reveals that there is no such thing as absolute freedom, it is always relative, primarily due to the influence of socio-political and natural factors. However, it is also undeniable that the level of freedom of each individual person is directly proportional to the level of freedom of the society in which he or she lives.

Given that our KhRAM is not only a museum institution that collects, researches, and preserves Ukrainian art of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, but also a center of active socio-cultural action, the concept of freedom is reflected in the concept of the first art residency in contemporary painting in the history of our museum. This project was made possible thanks to the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and partnership with the Donetsk Regional Art Museum (Kramatorsk).

Aware of the turbulence and historical significance of the present time, mastering the new realities of life and creativity during the war, the project was appropriately named “The Price of Freedom,” which resonated with the artistic community from all over Ukraine (69 applications were submitted for the competitive selection of participants). As a result, the art residency brought together 14 Ukrainian artists, different in age, geography of birth and residence, and life background. The project lasted for two weeks in the picturesque Maliivtsi Regional Historical and Cultural Museum, where the first reporting exhibition took place. Working together, artists and museum workers exchanged experience and knowledge, changed and changed others, explored the past, analyzed the present, and planned joint projects for the future.

The exhibition includes a part of a large body of work (72 paintings in various formats were created), in which the residents tried to archive personal experiences, feelings and understanding of the price that each individual and the entire Ukrainian society paid, is paying and will pay for freedom.