Project “I Will Be. Shadows of the Ancestors”

The project “I Will Be. Shadows of the Ancestors” is large-scale in its concept, geography of implementation, and unconventional method of presentation. Its conceptual foundation is the idea of the inseparable connection between the past, the present, and the future.

More than fifteen years of research into art, as well as reflections on the current problems of preserving Ukraine’s material cultural heritage, led Oleksandra Fedoruk to the idea of a large-scale artistic action intended to raise the issue of the restoration and conservation of architectural monuments located on the territory of Ukraine.

The project encompasses a wide range of themes: national self-identification, the connection between generations, continuity, cultural and historical memory, the system of values of contemporary Ukrainians, threats to Ukraine’s cultural heritage, the importance of its preservation, the promotion of Ukrainian culture, and the implementation of innovative forms of presenting contemporary art.

The exhibition of artworks becomes a mediator between the past and the present. The paintings function as distinctive windows of memory made of light: the past appears brighter against the background of contemporary reality, just as human memory preserves what is most valuable.

The technique used in the graphic series “Shadows of the Ancestors” is the artist’s original development. It was formed on the basis of many years of restoration practice, scholarly analysis of artistic monuments, research into the relationship between time and space, and a reinterpretation of the sacred dimension of material culture. The artist’s method is aimed at revealing universal cultural archetypes that make it possible to engage in dialogue with different cultural traditions regardless of country or historical era.

For the purpose of visually presenting the current problems of contemporary culture—the unsatisfactory condition of Ukraine’s national cultural heritage and the prospects for the development of contemporary Ukrainian art—the artist exhibits her works in ruined or abandoned architectural monuments. The combination of contemporary graphics, performative practices, and historical spaces becomes an artistic visualization of the concept of the inseparable connection between the present, the future, and the historical past.

The concept is also reflected in the title of the project itself. “I Will Be. Shadows of the Ancestors” combines two temporal dimensions: the future, embedded in the words “I Will Be,” and historical memory, embodied in the title of the series “Shadows of the Ancestors.” Thus, the title becomes a semantic model of the continuity of cultural memory.

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In the autumn of 2020, Oleksandra Fedoruk, together with her team, undertook an expedition across Ukraine, during which she realized a series of exhibition-performances in abandoned historic buildings. During the process of exhibiting the artworks, photographic documentation of the performances was carried out, becoming an integral part of the project.

The main goal of this large-scale artistic action was to draw attention to the actual condition of Ukraine’s cultural heritage; to document the moral condition of society through its attitude toward cultural monuments; to establish a parallel between collective memory and physically destroyed historical reality; through renewed attention to historical facts, to promote awareness of the personal responsibility of every citizen as a bearer of an ancient cultural tradition; and to foster a culture of responsibility and moral and ethical values that contribute to the development of culture, education, and the state as a whole.

The following landmark architectural sites of Ukraine were selected for the exhibition-performances: the unfinished museum (Pereiaslav, Kyiv Region), the Tereshchenko Palace (Chervone village, Zhytomyr Region), the Tor Lange Palace (Napadivka village, Vinnytsia Region), Sydoriv Castle (Ternopil Region), Chervonohorod Castle (Ternopil Region), Svirzh Castle (Lviv Region), and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Bilyi Kamin (Lviv Region).

With the support of the Lviv National Art Gallery and the Pidhirtsi Castle Museum-Reserve, the final exhibition “Shadows of the Ancestors. I Will Be” was held in the halls of Pidhirtsi Castle.

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The architectural monuments involved in the “I Will Be” project, like many other similar sites, remain little known to the general public and are often not included in tourist routes.

Therefore, in addition to implementing the artistic concept, Oleksandra Fedoruk, as an artist-restorer and cultural figure, considers it her professional and moral duty to promote these monuments, draw public attention to them, and contribute to their preservation.

Every minute, irreversible processes of destruction are eliminating buildings of historical, cultural, and scholarly value. Conducting comprehensive research involving art historians, restoration architects, and historians makes it possible to objectively assess the artistic, historical, and cultural significance of these structures, determine the extent of their deterioration, and identify the measures necessary for their preservation.

The educational component of the project promotes the involvement of specialists in history, cultural studies, art history, and restoration, creating a platform for professional dialogue on the protection of Ukraine’s cultural heritage.

Thus, the project is aimed not only at creating a new artistic statement, but also at developing interdisciplinary research, bringing the issues of cultural heritage protection into focus, and shaping contemporary approaches to its interpretation.

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Author of the idea: Oleksandra Fedoruk

Curator: Olena Kis-Fedoruk

Photographer: Serhii Bechko

Supported by: the National Conservation Area “Saint Sophia of Kyiv” and the Lviv National Art Gallery.