“The performance will not be interrupted. Attendance at the theater is at your own discretion and responsibility”
The Ukrainian exhibition features six Kyiv-based artists, graduates of the Department of Scenography and Multimedia at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, from various years. They are currently active in national and municipal theaters across various cities in Ukraine, possess their own distinctive artistic style and have considerable experience. We are presenting productions staged during the war, between 2024 and 2026; some premieres took place shortly before the Biennale and are the artists’ most recent works.
The exhibition also features a documentary video exploring the context in which Ukrainian artists are forced to work and create their productions, as well as the conditions under which Ukrainian audiences are able to watch them.
On May 24, 2026, the Kyiv Municipal Academic Opera and Ballet was damaged by a Russian drone attack.
The very next day, auditions began for soloists for the upcoming production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
On September 11, 2026, the premiere of the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” was interrupted by an air-raid alert and Russian drone strikes on Kyiv. But after the all-clear was given, the audience returned to the auditorium and the performance continued.
Art and war coexist, and the value of theatre becomes apparent precisely when the risks increase. For both creators and audiences, the threat to life posed by Russian rocket and drone attacks becomes a constant test of faith, value and the necessity of art.
The Ukrainian exhibition is organized by the non-governmental organization ‘Scenography Gallery’. This non-governmental organization was founded in Lviv in 2016 and has since functioned continuously as an organizational and communication platform for Ukrainian artists. Its main areas of focus and objectives are to foster the development of scenography, theatre costume design and the performing arts in Ukraine, and to promote Ukrainian artists on the international stage.
