16 January 2025
In 1998, Polina Raiko (1928-2004) picked up a paintbrush for the first time and started painting the inside of her house. Years after her death, her home became a masterpiece of folk art and a source of inspiration for many Ukrainians. This inspiration and Polina's work lives on in the Kherson Polina Raiko Foundation.
Two years later, reproductions of Polina Raiko's murals were part of 'A Space of One's Own', an exhibition at the Pinchuk Art Centre in Kiyv. Unfortunately, the house with the works was lost forever when Russian troops in Ukraine blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant in Kherson in 2023. Fortunately, Mariana Dzhulai together with Konstantin Rudeshko, went on an expedition to document Polina's works and was able to capture a lot on video and photos and has made many exhibitions and applications for it since then.
Mariana as a curator, organizer, and enthusiast working for many years to preserve the house, was the driving force behind this exhibition. This project at the Law Hub windows is based on those photographs. The Kastanje cultural center was the first to present this lost cultural heritage outside Ukraine.
The projection in the Law Hub is a new step towards public space in the commemoration of the art of Polina Raiko. Curator Marianna Dzhulai has realized this new application together with artist and photographer Kostiantyn Rudesko. The murals no longer exist in the physical world – they have passed into a momentary form. That is why a projection was chosen, a beam of light that forms an image. In terms of location, the university also lends itself very well to share the memory and knowledge of Polina Raiko's unique artistic legacy.
We invite you to be inspired by the vibrant images and works of Polina Raiko! As soon as it gets dark, the projection can be seen from the street near the Law Hub.