President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska took part in the opening of the “Ivan Marchuk. Museum Collections” exhibition at the Chocolate House Art Centre.
The exhibition presents works by Ivan Marchuk from the collections of 11 museum institutions in Kyiv, Lviv, Sumy, Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Kaniv, spanning from the late 1960s to the present day. The project is complemented by an immersive projection that brings the themes of Ivan Marchuk’s works to life, as well as little-known archival materials about the artist’s life and work.
The President thanked Ivan Marchuk for everything he has done for Ukraine, for the works that inspire Ukrainians and reveal the uniqueness of our country to the world, and congratulated him on his anniversary, which the artist marked on May 12.
“We all understand that Ivan Stepanovych spent his entire life fighting to be himself, whether it was bureaucracy or censorship. Just as today, our entire state is fighting to be itself. And I am convinced that Ivan Stepanovych has won his struggle. And so will all our Ukraine win its own,” the Head of State emphasized.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the exhibition organizers and all the museums that provided Ivan Marchuk’s works.
“This is a permanent exhibition. And I am sure it is a great opportunity for those who have not yet seen Marchuk’s work,” the President noted.
The Head of State awarded Ivan Marchuk the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, V class.
Ivan Marchuk is one of the most prominent representatives of contemporary Ukrainian art, working in a unique painting technique known as “pliontanism.” In total, the artist has created around 5,000 works and held more than 200 exhibitions (over 150 solo) across five continents.