Volta Art Fair (2023)
Alessandro Berni Gallery
Cultural Front Installation
Ola Rondiak’s “Cultural Front” installation brings awareness to the generations of trauma that have been left on Ukrainians for centuries. Ola displays a visual representation of the journey to heal trans generational pain. Having first hand experience, hearing stories from her mother about her grandmother in the Gulag during WWII, Rondiak’s mission is to heal through art and support Ukraine’s cultural front as Ukraine continues to fight for freedom.
On February 24th, Putin launched a full scale invasion on Ukraine. After passing the one year mark of fighting against Russia’s terror and aggression we reflect on the strength, courage and resilience the Ukrainian people have shown throughout this brutal invasion.
Each color of the canvases represents an individual emotion. Collectively the emotions represent the journey on the path to freedom, victory and healing.
Black, Anger
Red, Pain
Grey, Reflection
White, Tranquillity
Blue, Belief
Yellow, Rebirth
About Cultural Front
With the full scale Russian invasion on Ukraine lasting for over a year now, and Russian forces deliberately targeting cultural institutions, cultural figures and committing a cultural genocide, Ola Rondiak presents “Cultural Front." Working in partnership with 501(c)(3) organization RAZOM, Rondiak is donating a generous percentage of proceeds from artworks sold to humanitarian aid for Ukraine. It takes many fronts, all working harmoniously to reach victory. Slava Ukraini!
Drawing inspiration from her Ukrainian roots, Ola Rondiak has been creating artworks that reflect the political turbulence and war in Ukraine for over a decade. In an interview with ABC News, Rondiak describes the early stages of how trauma and tragedy began influencing her artistry when the war broke out in 2014. "Living in Kyiv, Ukraine, I started collecting all the magazines, articles, and newspapers to express what was going on. I intuitively created a version of my grandmothers unfinished Icon, which my grandmother embroidered in a Gulag after WWII, in a contemporary way, symbolically hoping that this was because Ukraine was finally going to realize itself, which it has, as a sovereign and democratic nation, and has no right to have a gun to its head.” Ola continues, “for me, my saving grace is art, art is symbolic of my family history intertwined with Ukraine’s history, and having been living there for the past 25 years, I felt connected to my grandmother that I never met." Rondiak's art is a symbol of Ukraine's ongoing fight for freedom and cultural identity.
About Razom
Razom was born out of the Revolution of Dignity in 2014 when millions of people worked together and risked their lives to build a pathway to a better future for Ukraine. Those who were unable to be in Ukraine during this time, wanted to do their part to help the movement as best they could from abroad. Many sent funds and supplies to sustain the community built on the Maidan through the winter, but they also took to the streets in their own cities to raise awareness and amplify voices from Ukraine in the West.
In New York, a handful of the organizers and participants of those activities decided to form an organization that could help sustain momentum and propel forward the important work started on the Maidan. They named it Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian and serves as a constant reminder of the community that it takes to create, build and do, to stay the path towards a more prosperous and democratic Ukraine.
How does Razom spend its donation money?
Following russia’s attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Razom quickly mobilized an emergency response to save lives. Our priority is to provide critical humanitarian war relief and recovery depending on the most urgent needs as they evolve. Right now this means delivering humanitarian aid in the form of tactical medicine, hospital supplies, and communication equipment, as well as evacuating children with disabilities and their families, and advocacy. Razom maintains an admin rate of no more than 15% (historically averaged below 10%).
Press Coverage
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