Sonechko, Yak Ty? (Sunshine, How Are You?)

Varvara Uhlik

21 sep – 26 oct 2024
Galeria do Paço

  • Exhibitions
  • Opening Weekend
  • Legacies of Colonialism
  • Braga

Curator: Elina Heikka

Sonechko, Yak Ty? (Sunshine, How Are You?), 2023

This project is a personal research on an identity of a modern woman who grew up in the post-Soviet environment. Born in Dnipro, Ukraine just five years after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1997, I was always told how fortunate I was not to have lived under Soviet rule. I always remember having a happy childhood.

However, in my late twenties, I found myself feeling lost and confused about who I actually am. This led me to undertake a search for myself by revisiting my childhood and youth memories and re-evaluating them as an adult.

Since 2014, the Russian occupation of Crimea has severed my connection to a place that profoundly shaped my identity. Since the beginning of the occupation my only access to Crimea has been through family archives, or Google maps. In the wake of the full-scale invasion of my country, my access to cherished elements — places, things or people — is further curtailed, limited to the realm of my memories alone.

Central to my artistic practice today is the (re)creation of digital archives that delve into things no longer accessible in reality, such as memories, places, and people. I often use analogue and digital materials and techniques combined as a means to question our present reality and the growing influence of the digital environment.

The concepts of “access” and “non-access” emerge as integral themes in my work, extending beyond geographical boundaries to touch upon the questions of identity, culture, society, the real, and the digital. The juxtaposition of analog and digital methodologies in my works serves as a visual exploration and as a reflection on the impermanence of our surroundings and the preservation of collective and individual memories in our world. By using contemplation on my own experiences, I try to open up broader societal conversations.

Galeria do Paço – UMinho
Reitoria, Largo do Paço, 4704-553 Braga

Opening Hours:

Tuesday – Saturday
10:00–12:30/14:00–18:30

Sunday and Monday
Closed