The De Montfort Students und die ukrainischen KünstlerInnen
Society
15 Ukrainian Artists are currently living in a former brothel right at the Ku'damm and creating the first ever Berlin-based Ukrainian Art hub: the Ukraine Culture Community. Foundation AusserGewöhnlich Berlin, founder Alexander S. Wolf hosting, was there to speak to the women who launched the initiative: Maya Miteva and Anastasja Pasechnik

In einer wunderschönen Gründerzeit-Wohnung, direkt am Ku’damm, haben 15 ukrainische KuenstlerInnen Zuflucht gefunden und schaffen hier einen neuen Ort der Kunst und Kultur. (Hier das offizielle info-pdf zum download: Ukraine Culture Community Ku´Damm)

AusserGewöhnlich Berlin veranstaltete vor dem Opening des „UCC – Ukrainian Culture Community“ einen der legendären Berliner Salons und sprach mit den Koordinatorinnen Maya Miteva und der Kuratorin Anastasia Pasechnik (Nastya).

Maya Miteva (coordinator):  It's incredible what these people are creating here.

You cannot feel it, but it's been happening, like, within a week.

Ukrainian artist Maria Lutsak
Art by Maria Lutsak - Maria is an artist from Kiev, Ukraine, who is mainly concerned with the state of the human soul, nature, society and the interactions of people in it.
Ukrainian artist Alina Coma
Art by Alina Coma - Alina is a fashion designer and illustrator from Kiev. In her projects she combines digital and visual art with clothing design.

I have the feeling we've been inviting people, meeting people and developing the space in one week.

Alexander S. Wolf: Maya said. It's all too slow in Germany.

It's slow. It’s taking too much time. I said, “okay, this changes now.”

MM: With your help, yes.

I will give the word to Nastya because she's basically the person who is creating the whole thing, but we met at an exhibition at this creative house I founded several years ago.

We also have several Ukrainian artists now living there.

And, basically , that inspired me because we were looking to help people, but we received so many applications that Boris and I were crying and thinking, “what can we do now? How can we help?”

So, I wrote to all my friends in the real estate industry and asked, “Do you guys have anything?” And this apartment came out.

I was standing here with Nastya and my partner Sybille, and we were like: “okay, well, it's kind of strange.”

It was a brothel, right? But for Ukrainian artists, it would be amazing.

And that's what basically happened after I met Nastya. She said, “I will do it, we can do it.”

And I said, "Okay."

Ukrainian artists
De Montfort University students meet Ukrainian artists as part of the 17Academy podcast.

I don’t have time because I have a normal job, but you can do it.

And with this, I give you Nastya to explain what she did.

Nastya (Kuratorin, lacht): Faster. Faster, I am very thankful!

Guys be very thankful.

Be here and do some art here.

Cheese! - The De Montfort University students meet the Ukrainian artists as part of the 17Academy podcast.

It's a big opportunity for Ukrainian artists and this place.

Es ist für die Arbeit, für das Leben, und um Kunst zu zeigen.

Ku’Damm is a little bit boring now, but we come here and show the avantgarde-wave-street art wave and make this more interesting and make bridge for Ukrainian culture and German culture.

Ukrainian people and German people, East and West.

We want to make this culture bridge and collaboration, communication because we have a lot of things we want to say and show.

And we're very thankful to be here.

This is our house, and this is our art.

And we want to show this power for Ukrainians and Ukrainian artists and make this avantgarde wave happen.

Alexander S. Wolf: Okay. So if I understand this right, this is going to be an exhibition place.

Nastya: Not only is it a workshop place, it's a performance place, DJ workshop, there will be plays, concerts, small concerts in this blue shower room.

It's a multiple place for exhibitions, workshop, collections.

Ukrainian artists
Listen up - A round table discussion with the Ukrainian artists of the Ukrainian Culture Community.

We can even have stretching lessons with our dancer Maria.

Guys paint here. It’s an art salon.

ASW (laughs): So the neighbors are really looking forward to that!

You're going to have the space for one year.

Listen up - A round table discussion with the Ukrainian artists of the Ukrainian Culture Community.

So you have 12 months to make the Ku’Damm a cultural place again.

This is the “Kampfansage” for the East right here!

How many Ukrainian artists are living and working here?

Nastya: It's now 15.

ASW: There are two apartments. If you haven't seen it, you have to check the other one.

So you have two apartments and 15 people, 15 Ukrainian artists. That’s cozy!

Nastya: Ja, es ist gemütlich.

But we changed it and separated it into art and exhibitions and life. So art, business and life.

ASW: Well, you‘re showing us what work-life balance really means.

Art by Sofia Golubeva - Sofia was born in 1997 in Odesa and today explores the social, psychological and political aspects of human existence.
Ukrainian artists
Art by Anastasia Pasechnik - Anastasia is an actress, artist and musician - but more than that she is a brand. A person you can turn to when it comes to the implementation of ideas.

So that's the way to go: a short trip from your bed to the bar.

That’s a good Berlin concept, just fall into bed from the bar.

ASW: So what do you need? How can we help?

Nastya: Your attention, energy, contacts.

Maybe you see these guys and you like it, you want to make collaboration or invite someone, for example, create some exhibitions here and let's do it.

Let's do it together and enjoy this place.

It's my dream.

ASW: „Unser Traum“.

So, what we have is a three-level support system.

First is the basics. See how these lights keep going on and off all the time?

We need somebody who knows something about electricity.

We need somebody who knows something about electricity. If you have somebody who knows how to fix that, please raise your hand. (A few hands go up)

De Montfort University students meet Ukrainian artists as part of the 17Academy podcast.

ASW: Übrigens, Ewa Herzog just walked in.

She organized the main support initiative from Berlin to Ukraine before the government started to even move.

She went to the parking lot when Ukrainian trucks came there and said, “Okay, we're empty, we will go back to Ukraine. You have stuff that we can carry to Ukraine?”

And she lived at this parking lot for one week, organizing and collecting from Berliners and giving it to Ukraine.

Inzwischen hast du eine Stiftung gegründet, Ewa.

And how many tons of goods have you organized to Ukraine?”

Ewa Herzog: 1500 tons.

ASW: A major logistical hub.

If you read in the paper, Germany delivered X, Y, Z, tons of goods to Ukraine. Much of that is through her initiative.

It's a private initiative, normally she's a fashion designer.

But this shows what Ukrainians can do.

Getting back to the three-level of support: So the basics, electricity, water.

We have to supply these fast.

So, this place also needs the permission.

I already spoke to a member architect about the city's permission.

We have to get this. These guys need permits for the DJ classes.

(laughs) After all, we don't want to see police here.

Unless they want to drink.

De Montfort University students meet Ukrainian artists as part of the 17Academy podcast.

The second thing is, we have to make this place come alive.

So we have to collaborate.

We have to do interviews, lectures, meetings, parties and so on.

Make this place a Berlin-Ukraine place.

I spoke to Martin, one of our member journalists that we need to bring journalists here.

And the third thing: make it a legend.

Talk to everybody, communicate that.

This has to be heard in New York.

I want The New York Times to write about this place.

You know, we have to amplify and be the mouthpiece for this great project, to show that this is our answer to Putin.

So this is the three-level support system. Now, before we go into the groups who is living here, can we just get to meet everybody?

We end the official part of the Salon by introducing each of the Ukrainian artists.

Their talent and versatile work will blow your mind.

Who are the artists?

Antony Reznik
@antonyreznik

Viki Berg
@viki_berg_

Vlada Bilovodenko
@vlada.blw

Maria Lutsak
@marialutsak_art

Julia Samson
@samson.juli

Alina Coma
@comaalina

Sofia Golubeva
@sophia_golubeva

Anastasia Pasechnik
@avangard_nastya

Julia Levitska
@j.levitskaya

Somari
@so.ma.ri

Maria Kebu
@m_kebu

Sofiia Yesakova
@sofiia.yesakova

Alex
@mmorwwan

Alexandra
@ja_novoselivka

Live-Ausschnitt aus dem AusserGewöhnlich Berlin Salon vom 2. Juni, 2022 in der Ukraine Culture Community, Leibnizstr. 57, 10629 Berlin.

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DONATION

Whether it's 10€ or 10,000€, every donation allows you to become part of the collaborative collective, the ones who make an impact for real.

SUSTAINING MEMBER

A regular contribution makes you a member of the network.

SUBSCRIPTION

Further your own education while helping others to do so: Your paid subscription will enable 3 free subscriptions for NGOs to learn about collaboration and sustainable networking, so they can pursue their goals in line with SDG #17 of the UN Agenda 2030.