Arte
The work
CORTEMPORANEA #3
Zhanna Kadyrova
Devil of Comparisons
curated by Massimiliano Bastardo
For the third edition of CORTEMPORANEA, Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadyrova presents Devil of Comparisons, a solo show especially conceived for Palazzo Chigi Zondadari, curated by Massimiliano Bastardo, in collaboration with GALLERIA CONTINUA, opening on June 27, 2024
CORTEMPORANEA, initiated by Flavio Misciattelli, president of the Fondazione Palazzo Chigi Zondadari, invites Italian and international artists to interpret and create site-specific works in the courtyard and central hall of Palazzo Chigi Zondadari, located in Piazza del Campo, Siena.
When the everyday is altered by external conditions, the artist’s narrative becomes detailed: objects, images, and places take on new meanings, becoming contemporary archaeology of aesthetics and emergencies.
Zhanna Kadyrova’s practice is a raw corollary of violence and resistance, usurped culture, daily hopes, and passed-down memories. Through sculpture, installations, photography, and other mixtures of elements such as glass, stone, and ceramic, the Ukrainian artist speaks of the present, giving meanings and values to every object on display. The fundamental concept is not interpretable, but concrete in its relentless rhythm. Space, time, and history are fundamental pillars from which to act and communicate. Empathy, pain, and resilience are emotions that lead to a repeated reflection on the war in her beloved homeland.
Kadyrova is a messenger of humanitarian and social art that does not mince words, but rather, openly declares reality through her works. Being forced to emigrate west, when the war broke out in 2022, to the village of Berezovo, was a painful yet necessary choice, but as the days went by, her determination grew to do everything possible, return to Kiev, and make her voice heard, wavering at first but continuing to be an artist who through every type of gesture spreads and defends.
The exhibition created for the rooms of Palazzo Chigi Zondadari carries with it a poignant sensitivity about the daily life that has affected Ukraine for over two years due to the Russian occupation. Each work—site-specific and ready-made—describes the bitter outcome of the conflict: every message within spreads fear and faith, help and courage, leaving the viewer to question how art can be a manifesto of justice and enlisted to convey a different sense.
In parallel with Zhanna Kadyrova’s solo exhibition at Palazzo Chigi Zondadari, the Ukrainian artist presents a special project at the Museo di Arte Sacra in Buonconvento on June 28, 2024. Promoted by the Fondazione Musei Senesi, the exhibition will feature three works, including one from the “Palianytsia” series, which means “bread” in Ukrainian. These pieces will interact with the collection of the Museo della Mezzadria in Buonconvento. The goal is to link the works of the Fondazione Musei Senesi’s collections with contemporary art, envisioning museums not only as places of historical narration but also as spaces that embrace contemporary creativity. This approach aims to generate new perspectives and interpretations of cultural heritage, connecting FMS museums with prestigious cultural venues like the Fondazione Palazzo Chigi Zondadari.
The artist
Zhanna Kadyrova
She was born in 1981 in Brovary in the Kiev region of Ukraine. She currently lives and works in Kiev. Kadyrova has had great national and international success, participating in biennials and solo and group exhibitions in some 15 countries. In 2019, she took part in the Venice Biennale in the exhibition “May You Live in Interesting Times”. She also represented Ukraine at the Biennale in 2013. Since the occupation by Russian forces in 2022, Zhanna Kadyrova’s art has focused on the effects of war. During this time, she also started working on the humanitarian project “Palianytsia”. Among her most recent solo shows: “Unexpected” at Galerie Rudolfinum in Prague, Czech Republic, 2024, and “Border Memory” at the Uppsala Art Museum, Uppsala, Sweden, 2024. “Daily Bread” was the artist’s first major retrospective, held in 2023 at the Kunstverein in Hannover, Germany. That same year, the solo exhibition “Flying Trajectories” was held at the PinchukArtCentre in Kiev. Kadyrova currently takes part in the show “From Ukraine: Dare to Dream” curated by the PinchukArtCentre as a Collateral Event of the 60th International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia.
Visit
Palazzo Chigi Zondadari
Opening hours:
Courtyard: Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Zhanna Kadyrova Devil of Comparisons at Casa Museo: private visits and group tours by appointment only fondazione@palazzochigizondadari.com
Museo di Arte Sacra di Buonconvento
Opening hours:
Monday and Tuesday: Closed
From Wednesday to Friday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Information: museibuonconvento@gmail.com
www.museisenesi.org/museo/museo-darte-sacra-della-val-darbia
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