PLEASE NOTE:
Opening of the exhibition Mavky. Camouflage will take place on Thursday, 20 February 2025 from 5-7 pm at ERSTE Foundation, Am Belvedere 1, 1100, Vienna
The heroines of the project are real women, residents of the Ukrainian village of Horenka, Buchansky District. In March 2022, the village was on the front line and suffered from constant shelling. According to the UN, 77 per cent of the buildings in Horenka were destroyed as a result of Russian aggression. For local residents, those events became a severe trauma as houses were destroyed and neighbours died before their eyes. The liberation of Kyiv Oblast gave an impetus to the reconstruction of the village and the restoration of social ties in the community, but the war continued. Striving to be useful members of the community, the women of Horenka organised the volunteer group “Horenski Mavky”. They are of different ages and different social statuses, they pursue different professions, but they are united by the desire to do something important together: they weave camouflage nets.
Even the blackout of the winter of 2022-2023 did not stop them — under the constant threat of rocket attacks, by candlelight, in the cold, the weaving of camouflage products continued. To this day, women continue to produce nets that imitate natural colours and camouflage clothing for snipers and scouts, which makes the military invisible and saves lives. There is a constant need for such items; they are sent to the front as quickly as possible. Volunteers are convinced that camouflage products, woven with love and faith, have the power of charms.
In times of the most difficult trials, the people turn to their roots, to the common ground that has shaped their identity for thousands of years. And today Ukrainian mythology has come in handy along with other components of culture. The folkloric character of the Mavky is one of the most famous; it is sung in legends and shown in works of art. An ambivalent figure on the border between the worlds of the living and the dead, in recent times the Mavka has become a symbol of victorious femininity, ardent self-sacrificing love.
The heroines of the photo project do not destroy, do not seek revenge for destroyed homes and lives — they protect the present, build a future for new generations on their land. This future must be defended in war, and Mavka, a Ukrainian woman, stood by her soldiers.
ERSTE Foundation condemns the war of aggression against Ukraine and its people
On 24 February 2022, the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops changed the reality of life for people in Ukraine, Europe and the rest of the world. ERSTE Foundation condemns the war of aggression against Ukraine and its people and has long facilitated debates and free exchange on the future of Europe. It supports critical contemporary culture in Eastern Europe. With its help, social organisations from Ukraine continue their education in Vienna and work to improve living conditions in their country, among other things to help numerous artists and creative people who have remained in their country. The project Mavky. Camouflage shows not only the strength and determination of the artist but above all the women of Horenka, who pursue their goal of helping with courage and love. The bravery of these women should be honoured – not only but also on International Women’s Day.
Alena Grom
Ukrainian artist and documentary photographer Alena Grom was born in Donetsk. In April 2014, she was compelled to leave her hometown due to the military conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Since 2017, she has resided in Bucha, a town near Kyiv. Following the full-scale invasion of Russia in February 2022, Grom and her family became refugees for the second time, but returned after Bucha was de-occupied. These experiences have profoundly influenced her artistic practice. Photography has served as a lifeline for her, allowing her to confront the traumatic realities of war. Since 2016, Alena Grom has centred her work on locations affected by military aggression, capturing the lives of war victims, migrants, refugees.
Grom operates at the confluence of social reporting and conceptual photography, often working on her themes from the front lines. She perceives her “mission” as documenting the lives of individuals caught in the “grey zones” or near military conflicts. Through her photographs, she aims to inform the global community about the complexities of wartime life, the tragedies of humanity. Alena Grom has received recognition as a laureate and winner in numerous international photography contests.
The exhibition at the window gallery of ERSTE Foundation at Erste Campus runs until 20 March 2025 and is on display 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Cover picture: Photo called “Roots” by Alena Grom, series Mavky. Camouflage, 2024.
