The Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts

February 2022 caused the total changes of our lives, old paradigms and became the existential challenge for society and our institution. We are museum with the collection from Egypt time till the end of 19th cent. It is the greatest collection of world art in Ukraine and for many Ukrainians it is the first step towards world art culture diversity.
It seems that classical museum during the bombing have to follow the most conservative mission – to preserve collection. And we`ve done it.
At the same time, we realized and accepted the collapse of civilizational «agreements» and use to survive the “contemporary art tools” - hesitance to old rules, experiment and laboratory approach. We do believe that our institution could be a place for creating new visions, solidarity and resilience.
In May 22, it was not a lot of people in Kyiv, we started with the guided tours through the empty rooms of museum, as this emptiness belong not only to us.
We open the yard for visitors and became the place of safety and solidarity. And we started to work with contemporary artists (we haven`t done it before).
We tried to involve different actors. In Sept 2022 we presented contemporary opera in empty space, which occupied all our premises.

It challenged the team to create a public space that would give a sense of care, sustainability and protection for the visitors during the fragile war routine.

The museum's core activities became the joint exhibition, music and performance programs with Ukrainian artists, architecture and design workshops with expanding accessibility and support for all communities and audiences.

The security reasons in Ukraine with its extreme risk to show the collection inside the museum pushed the option to uphold an international partnership with presenting the museum’s artworks at the European museums narrating loudly about Ukrainian cultural heritage.

Explain in one sentence why you think the project you nominate is outstanding and could serve as an example for the entire community of modern and contemporary art museums.

The braveness of the institution to radically change its activities for serving the society during the war, presenting new practices, serving as an example of resilience and care at the same time.

Explain why this practice or program is relevant and sustainable in creating meaningful and lasting connections with people, communities, and the museum context with a medium to long-term vision.

The Museum provided an example of caring for communities: both visitors and creators; an example of the courage to change oneself and act, not numb; an example solidarization of community to rescue of the museum after damages.
We presented several new formats of projects, demonstrating that the absence of exposition and the inaccessibility of collection does not cancel the mission of the institution of service to society. We used the language of contemporary art, at the same time speaking in each project about museums history, mission and collection.
The museum demonstrated the most progressive approach to openness – not hiding the collection from the world, but presenting it in other countries.
In the medium vision museum the place of creating, expertise and reviewing new messages together with the community. In the long-term after the victory the museum will apply all these practices in new exposition and programming. In global vision – museum demonstrates changes of the rules, resilience, and position of the leading institution.

https://youtu.be/RQmGF9OvI80?si=ZIHvqKI-biXUsk6W

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