KЪNIGA: art, literature and the spirit of the Golden Gate
“Book”, Valeria Trubina, 2014
KЪNIGA is an exhibition project dedicated to reading, literature, in fact, a book as a cult subject, an integral attribute of human civilization. The works of the artists fit into the context of a unique architectural monument – the Golden Gate. An ancient structure of great historical importance for our country.
The spirit of the times living in the Golden Gate becomes a symbolic home for the exhibition, emphasizing the continuity of generations, transmitted both through architecture and through the book. It was this connection between the past and the present, between history and the modernity that formed the basis of the idea of the project.
The book, and indeed reading in general, has been buried many times. As, by the way, theater, painting, and other areas of creativity, which, in spite of everything, do not die, but only find new forms and meanings for embodiment.On the contrary, art, along with religion and science, is a rare opportunity for a person to fight death and oblivion. It is curious that the book, in one way or another, is present in all these three spheres of human thought, as a rule, as a way of transmitting valuable knowledge and ideas.
Religious books are still the most widespread, scientific works presented in texts carry fundamental knowledge about the structure of the world through the centuries, and ancient book illustration, as one of the first examples of conscious art, has inspired and inspires thousands of artists. But sometimes the book itself becomes a work of art, acquiring additional meanings in the skillful hands of the artist.
In the KЪNIGA project, 25 Ukrainian artists presented works dedicated to reading, literature and even the tactile pleasure of turning over paper pages. Some authors use the book as a metaphor, others literally, some artists worked in their usual manner, while others experimented with technology and media. But all works of art are equally carefully inscribed in the context of a unique structure – the Golden Gate.
Golden Gate Museum was not chosen by chance – the funds raised by the KЪNIGA project will be donated to the Sofia Kievskaya nature reserve. The series of exhibitions and events aims not only to once again draw attention to the importance of reading and highlight the incredible role of the book as a bearer of knowledge, but also to trace how culture and art are developing through the prism of literature today and in a historical context. The spirit of the times living in the Golden Gate becomes a symbolic home for the exhibition, emphasizing the continuity of generations, transmitted both through architecture and through the book.
The ambitious idea of combining history, architecture, literature and art was responded to by wonderful artists, many of whom created new works especially for the project.
At the exhibition, viewers will be able to get acquainted with the new names of young artists, and see the works of successful, famous authors, including Valeria Trubina, Roman Mikhailov, Anna Zvyagintseva, Daniil Galkin, Hamlet Zinkovsky, Maria Kulikovska, Anna Shcherbina, WAONE and many others.
The exhibition is open until 10.10.2021 at the address: Museum Golden Gate Museum, Vladimirskaya street, 40A, Kiev, Ukraine
