The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art is delighted to present our next exhibition The Ground of Things, featuring works by Aleksander Najda and Vasyl Savchenko. We invite you to join us for the Opening Reception on Friday, July 12th from 5 p.m. through 9 p.m..

This is a new iteration of an ongoing project staged at the Walbrzych Gallery of Art, Poland. Najda is a part-time Chicago resident. Savchenko, originally from Ukraine, teaches art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk. The exhibit explores the relationship between word and image, art and life, each creator responding to the work of the other in a new artistic form.

At UIMA, Najda writes poems in English to Savchenko’s graphic images, a reverse response from the first iteration in Walbrzych in which Savchenko created graphics to Najda’s poems, written in Polish. Najda looks to the work of iconic writers, philosophers, artists, etc. of the past, including Ezra Pound, Heraclitus, Francis Bacon the artist, St. Peter, as he ponders the world and his experiences in it. Savchenko’s abstract graphics are often as simple as a brushstroke, simple and nuanced as he marks a moment or the passage of time.

We are seeking donor support for our upcoming exhibition, Aleksander Najda and Vasyl Savchenko: The Ground of Things. Slated to open July 12-August 30, 2024, this is an opportunity for contributions to directly support the work of these artists. All donations over $250 will be recognized as sponsors in our exhibition materials.