Ukrainian artists at the Museum Night at the Albertinum in Dresden
On July 8, electronic musicians Alla Zagaykevych, Yuriy Samson and Zavoloka played live concerts as part of the Museum Night at the Albertinum (Dresden). The artist Lesia Zayats gave the lecture on Ukrainian video art of the 90s.
Photo: Ilona Kuntz
“Spaces of Freedom” was the motto of this year’s Museum Night at the Dresden Museum of Modern Art. The focus of this year’s program was on the phenomena of modern Ukrainian art.
Alla Zagaykevych told about the origin and history of Ukrainian audio-visual music. Yuriy Samson performed his solo piece “Inmostones”. Yuriy Samson wrote the work when he was living in Nova Kahovka under the Russian occupation until August 2022. In 2023 the work was published on the label “I Shall Sing Until My Land Is Free”.
The event was part of the interdisciplinary accompanying program of the Ukrainian Institute in the framework of the exhibition “Kaleidoscope of History(s). Ukrainian Art 1912-2023.”
Kateryna Zavoloka is a young Ukrainian composer, sound artist, performer and visual artist. Her artistic practice is dedicated to orchestrating experimental music that is free from genre-dependent definitions. Together with Dmytro Fedorenko, Zavoloka runs the label of Ukrainian experimental music “Prostir” and in 2022 founded the sublabel “I Shall Sing Until My Land Is Free”, which supports Ukrainian resistance through donations.
Alla Zagaykevych is one of the most important contemporary composers in Ukraine. She studied at the National Academy of Music of Ukraine in Kyiv and completed a one-year program in composition at IRCAM (Research Institute of Acoustics and Music) in Paris. Since 1997 she has been a lecturer at the National Academy of Music of Ukraine in Kyiv, where, among other things, she founded the Studio of Electronic Music. Zagaykevych’s work includes symphonic, instrumental and vocal chamber music, electroacoustic compositions, multimedia installations and performances, and opera and film music.
Yuriy Samson’s hometown is Nova Kakhovka in the south of Ukraine. His home region played a significant role in his work as a musician and cultural organizer. Here he founded the music label “Despot”, oriented mainly to the local music scene around Kherson, and organized the festival of Ukrainian experimental music “Buddha Noise”. Samson composes himself (electroacoustic music, experimental) and played in numerous formations and collectives: Sora (jazzcore), Formless Creating Form (neofolk), Kadaitcha (industrial noise).
Partner organizations
The accompanying program was sponsored by the Ernst von Siemens Foundation, the Dresden State Art Collection and the Goethe-Institut.