One day I’m gonna make the onion cry #4

Kyiv, Ukraine
Carbonarium Performance Art Festival
Invited by Oleksiy Zaitsev
Duration: 29 minutes
Photographs by Monika Deimling

Context:

The driving force behind the Carbonarium Performance Art Festival in Kyiv is Ukrainian artist and curator Oleksiy Zaitsev. Together with guest curator Derin Gencer (Turkey), Antonin Brinda (Czechia), and a dedicated team of local artists, they hosted a four-day festival featuring both local and international artists. The event took place in a former coal mine museum in Kyiv – a vast space with a glass wall opening to the outside, creating the impression of a museum setting. This unique environment provided an ideal backdrop for performance art, fostering exchange and visibility for a scene that remains underrepresented in other parts of Europe.

The festival unfolded against the backdrop of a politically charged moment in Ukraine. In 2019, the country was navigating the aftermath of the 2014 revolution, ongoing tensions with Russia, and a presidential election that signalled a shift in leadership. The political landscape influenced cultural discourse, making platforms like Carbonarium all the more vital as spaces for artistic expression, dialogue, and resistance.

The performance took place in the expansive main hall, set against a stark white wall. Inside, cellists Volodymyr Bedzvin and Ihor Kovalchuk played a single sustained tone for the duration of the piece. As I left the space for the final part of the performance outside, their sound gradually faded, marking a quiet yet profound transition.

Video documentation of the performance
11:03 minutes

Camera: Antonin Brinda
Editing: BBB Johannes Deimling
2019

Description of actions:
A collage of performance images and sounds is created by executing the following actions with selected material.