The International Coalition of Cultural Workers in Solidarity with Ukraine
antiwarcoaltion.art is an open online platform that collects, shares and distributes statements against war created by artists from all over the world. Driven by the Russian aggression and war against Ukraine, this platform presents an opportunity to protest against war, dictatorship, and authoritarianism. It is an opportunity to express solidarity with those in Ukraine who are affected by the Russian military aggression, and with those resisting colonial, patriarchal, imperialistic, and political repressions and terror elsewhere.
HOW WE WORK:
We strongly believe that contemporary art is a catalyst for discourse and civic engagement. Coalition means cooperative efforts that through a range of public exhibitions, actions, and discussions generate a cultural and socio-political space for reflection, debate, participation and action about war in Ukraine in a more complex global context.
We work as:
- Online platform that invites cultural workers worldwide to publish their anti-war, anti-dictatorial statements through submitting artworks such as posters, videos, audio etc.
- Public tool that distributes artwork offline in art institutions, large art events and festivals, indoor and in public spaces through screenings and discussions.
- Archive that provides opportunities for research and operates as a well-programmed collection of anti-war statements.
WHO WE ARE
This platform was initiated by Ambasada Kultury and a group of Belarusian cultural workers: Anna Chistoserdova, Oxana Gourinovitch, Valentina Kiselyova, Aleksander Komarov, Lena Prents, Antonina Stebur, Maxim Tyminko, who left the country between 1994 and 2021 due to dissent with the political regime. Later two Ukrainian curators Natasha Chychasova and Tatiana Kochubinska joined the team.
“Today we observe in аwe and despair how the dictatorial regime is using the territory of the Republic of Belarus as a staging area for the Russian army, their military equipment, and their combat operations. We feel confusion, frustration, and numbness as a result of the monstrous aggression being waged against the Ukrainian people, against our friends and relatives, and the involvement of Belarus in this terrible war.”
We are initiating this platform with the hope of creating a force of artists around the world, joined together against war and dictatorship.
Ambasada Kultury
Ambasada Kultury is an initiative of Belarusian culture workers and activists with a goal of supporting and developing connections within and outside Belarusian cultural community, promoting cooperation and collaboration of artists and activists from different fields of culture. Based in Vilnius (LT), Berlin (DE)
European Pavilion
Antiwarcoalition.art is a part of The European Pavilion, an international programme of the European Cultural Foundation that brings together art and culture initiatives that encourage critical thinking and radical imagination, and fuel bold perspectives on Europe and our common future. The European Pavilion is developed in collaboration with, and with the support of Camargo Foundation, Kultura Nova Foundation, and Fondazione CRT. The participating organizations include: Ambasada Kultury (Lithuania/Belarus), ARNA (Sweden), Brunnenpassage (Austria), INIVA (London), OGR Torino (Italy), State of Concept (Greece), Studio Rizoma (Italy), and L’Internationale (Ljubljana, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, and Poland).
Partners
The platform is supported by European Cultural Foundation, The Danish Cultural Institute in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Swedish Institute, Goethe Institute e.V., Human Rights House Foundation
