The exhibition is part of the OnTheEdge (ukr. НаГрані, NaHrani) charity project and is the result of the painstakingly hard work of highly skilled artists and sculptors from the city of Sloviansk (Donetsk region) who took part in a volunteer art initiative launched by the Sloviansk Museum of Local Lore in the fall of 2023. The exhibition is characterized by the exceptional process of its creation, outstanding results, and problematic and thematic relevance.
The aim of the project is to memorialize the events related to the russian-Ukrainian war, as well as to draw public attention to the historical sites of Sloviansk that have suffered as a result of russian aggression. The work of local artists in this project is their significant personal contribution to the preservation and transmission of historical memory to future generations.
Nine of the city’s artists living in Sloviansk, as well as those in evacuation, have contributed to this impressive collection. The exhibits are an artistic reflection of the war tragedy that damaged or destroyed historic buildings in Sloviansk between 2014 and today.
The creative reflections of artists of different generations, embodied in paintings, drawings and ceramic sculptures, conveyed a sense of deep feeling of the city community about the events taking place in the frontline city. Sloviansk, which has been bravely going through the war for a decade, facing the enemy, seeks to share its unique history with visitors to the exhibition and relive the personal experiences of artists and residents of the city together. All the works presented at the exhibition will be included in the museum collection of the Slavic Local History Museum with the consent of the project participants, providing the community, scientific and artistic communities with the opportunity to study and analyze the reality of the russian invasion of Ukraine reflected in them.
The OnTheEdge project is an initiative of the Sloviansk Museum of Local Lore, implemented in cooperation with the Donetsk Regional Art Museum, the Austausch Representative Office in Ukraine – Drukarnia Civil Society Center, and the Khmelnytskyi Regional Museum of Art.