“Ode to Joy”

 Joy, thou brightest spark of divinity,

Daughter of Elysium,

We approach, with fire-drunk rapture,

Heavenly One, thy holy shrine!

Friedrich Schiller

When we hear these lines, the idea of universal brotherhood, light, and unity subconsciously comes to mind, superimposed on mythological images of joy as a primal force of nature. The project “Ode to Joy” invites the viewer to go beyond straightforward illustration and explore the intellectual and existential tension between two poles: joy as the spiritual unity of people (according to Schiller) and joy as chaos, ecstasy, and physicality (among the Greek gods).

In Schiller’s text, joy appears as a principle of unity that transcends the boundaries between people, creating a harmonious order. In ancient mythology, however, it takes on an extreme physicality through laughter, dance, wine, and exaltation. Here, joy destroys structures and returns humanity to a primal state of freedom. In the Greek pantheon, it was never a moral category—it belonged to darkness, intoxication, and a rhythm that transcends the verbal.

The exhibition’s visual narrative unfolds across the nine halls of “Khlibna,” capturing the conflict and the attempt to synthesize these principles: controlled harmony as opposed to wild, unbridled forces. The concept explores the tension between joy as an idea and joy as an experience; between control and dissolution; between morality and instinct. The question of balance and appropriateness hangs in the air, revealing a single connecting link—ritual.

The project reveals these images through the figure of the modern person, who has lost their god but retained the rituals that shackle their development, constructing an illusion of safety. From this perspective, “Ode” is read not as a triumphant hymn, but as a symptom—an attempt to discipline that which, by its very nature, defies discipline. Harmony itself appears merely as a secondary effect, a fragile surface concealing an internal rupture.

The exhibition brings together over 200 works of art, showcasing a wide range of contemporary artistic media. A dialogue between classical painting, fine art photography, and alternative photographic processes (cyanotypes and ambrotypes) engages with the diversity of graphic arts (ranging from drawings made with ballpoint pens, markers, or pencils to color woodcuts and digital printing techniques), as well as with the plasticity of sculptural objects made of ceramics, ceramic clay, metal wire, acrylic, and wood.

Moving away from a linear interpretation of philosophical texts, the artists perceive the joy of the present in very different ways. The works on display convey a sense of conflict and pain that enter into a unique visual dialogue with the viewer. The artists often turn to simple moments and family values, celebrating the ordinary and routine actions. Pain and sincerity are expressed through metaphorical exposure—as the only possible revelation today.

The space of the nine “Khlibna” halls is deliberately free of artificial thematic divisions. The exhibition is not divided into subtopics — it is governed by a single, turbulent dynamic that pulsates across a spectrum ranging from profound personal drama to boundless happiness found in simple things. This continuous visual flow serves as a reflection of our everyday life in times of war. It captures our changing, unstable, and precarious relationship with joy — how we experience it from morning to night, where a momentary emotional outburst can evolve into a profound philosophical reflection.

Exhibition Tour Guide

FIRST FLOOR (4 rooms):

A space of sincerity and open dialogue. This space grounds the concept in a realm of pure emotional experience and interaction.

Large Right Hall: A space dedicated to works by young people with complex developmental disabilities (in curatorial collaboration with the NGO “Bachyty Sercem” (Seeing with the Heart). A space of emotional intensity and sincerity, where joy emerges as a basic instinct of freedom, free from social filters.

The second large hall and two small halls: A selection of the contemporary Ukrainian perspective through the works of the winners of the nationwide open call. A polyphony of artists reflecting on pain and seeking new visual codes of joy during wartime.

SECOND FLOOR (5 rooms):

Art Media Laboratory and Residencies. A space dedicated to in-depth exploration of form, material, and visual experimentation.

Second-floor rooms: Entirely reserved for residents of the CUTOUT COLLAGE ART PROJECT and leading renowned artists from Ukraine.

The essence of the space:  This is where various artistic media interact, dominated by analog and digital collage, expressive painting, and multi-genre graphic art. The residents’ works present familiar images of harmony while revealing the internal tension between the control of form and the wild force of creative instinct.

“Ode to Joy” draws attention to the volatility of emotions from morning to night. This project is a space for the emotional legitimization of pain and, at the same time, an affirmation of the right to happiness during wartime. By laying bare these emotions through a variety of artistic forms, the artists transform the exhibition into a vivid, pulsating experience, where every step through the nine galleries brings us closer to a single, true revelation—the joy of being alive.

The theme itself originated from an idea by French gallery owner Xavier Gras, who, every year, drawing inspiration from the European Union’s anthem “Ode to Joy,” brings together artists who support one another regardless of distance, guided by dignity and integrity, valuing human life, and creating exhibitions in various European citie — most notably in Paris.

Ukraine is currently paying the highest price for its European identity, and the anthem “Ode to Joy” is perceived as an echo from a parallel world; only the sincerity of the language of art conveys to European artists and viewers the joy that Ukrainians can afford to experience — a joy that some can only dream of.

Curators: Katya Syta, Annete Sagal, Lilia Bershova.

Technical curators: Olena Fokova, Iryna Kudriashova, Anastasia Galushka, Kamila Zakharova.

Exhibitors:

CUTOUT Residents

Lesya Aikhert, Anastasiia Halushka, Iryna Dunaeva | Duna, Natalie Dolgert, Anna Zhukova, Daria Zymenko, Julia Sonata, Mkbee, Iryna Koval, Yevgeniya Kostyuk, Iryna Kudriashova, Oksana Lozova, _okeana_, Ellen Rococo, VMRSHNKV, Olena Morozova, Nata Savina, Annete Sagal, Anna Samoilovych, Katya Syta, Maryna Siliakova, Iryna Tatarenko, Olena Fokova, Yaroslava Shkolna, Darka Shpykuliak.

Invited Artists

Daltonik, iSky Iryna, Rakontanto, Ksenia Datsiuk, Olesia Dvorak-Galik, Maria Drobot, Ruslan Ivashchenko, Marianna Maslova, Zhenya Machkovska, Igor Nekraha, Solomiya Ortynska, Yuriy Solomko, Stefan Stoykov.

“See with Your Heart” Art Workshop

Bogdan Artemenko, Diana Bilan, Yevgen Venger, Yuriy Grynda, Pavlo Dedikalo, Artem Didyk, Olena Zezyaeva, Nazariy Kazmerchuk, Valeria Kosenko, Nicholas Lazarev, Andriy Loboda, Yelizaveta Malikova, Artem Musaelyan, Ruslan Olenichenko, Olga Oliinyk, Daria Ostrovska, Nazarii Renyov, Matvii Yaskevych.

Open Call Winners

Adam Liia, Bel Illya, Kateryna Bondarenko, Kateryna Bondarets, Oleksandra Borzenkova, Oleksandra Viazinko, Viktoria Vladymyrska, Gush x Vabi, Iryna Vozniak, Ira Gvozdyk, Eva Holts, Mariami Gubianuri, Alla Guzhva, Svitlana Hlushko, IRYDIY, Pani Kateryna, Marina Yevtushyk, Raisa Kadyrova, Yulia Kapustynska, Alina Kashitsyna, Natalia Kyryk, Tosya Kravtsova, Kryvych, Svitlana Lavryk, Yesnaya, Olena Lemberska, Alina Lobanova, Oleksandr Meshcheriak, Olha Mikhailova, Daria Morozova, Ierkhova Natta, OlHa Oliinyk, Olena Osadcha, Vika Ostrenko, Natalia Okhman, Yulia Pavliuk, Olena Papka, Oksana Oleksiiva, Maria Pyvovarova, Anna Pylypchuk, Sviatoslav Podlevskyi, Yulia Polyakova, Popovich S, Sofia Priadko, Marina PPSRV, Omnia Voivat, Oleksii Revika, Yulia Rokytska, Iryna Semko, Lesya Synychenko, Olga Sokolyuk, Iryna Tarashkevych, Kristina Treinis, Maksym Tretiak, Dmytro Trush, Asya Tsygankova, Svitlana Chebanova, Stanislava Cherkasova, Alina Shpitko | Lina, Yulia Shulga | Collage.absurdage.

The exhibition project “Ode to Joy” is being implemented by the #MyMinistryOfCulture community under the patronage of CUTOUT COLLAGE Art Project, with support from the French gallery Le Bonheur Est Dans L’instant (“Happiness in the Moment”) and its founder, Xavier Gras.

The project is made particularly significant by its collaboration with the nonprofit organization “See with Your Heart” (Bachyty Sercem) and the “Vplyv” Foundation, whose work is focused on creating opportunities for people with disabilities and their families, and supporting their social integration and active participation in cultural life.

Media partners UGallery and Marie Claire are providing informational support for the project.

Coverage of the opening by Suspilne Culture (reporter Kateryna Onykiichuk)