Association of Contemporary Art Workers of Ukraine
Become a member of the ACAWU
- A copy of the extract from the Unified Register of Legal Entities, Individuals - Enterprises and Public Organizations.
- Selected excerpts from the minutes of the meeting of the Association of Contemporary Art Workers
- Information about the current members of the organization's management and founders
- Report for the previous year on statutory activities
Photo Archive
History of activity
From the very beginning of its existence, the focus was primarily on attracting private philanthropists to implement the Foundation's objectives.
From 2002 to 2004 ADSMU experts take an active part in the renovation of the Arsenal plant's workshop, which is being transformed into the largest art venue, Mystetskyi Arsenal
Since 2003, the ADFMU has been actively involved in organizing and conducting the Open Night Film Festival, as well as in the meetings of its organizing committee and jury.
In 2004, in support of the newly created Donetsk Symphony Orchestra, ADSMU experts developed and implemented a large-scale event called "Immersion in Art" - a concert and exhibition of contemporary Ukrainian artists at a depth of 300 meters in the Soledar salt mine.
In the same year, 2004, ADSMU conducted an experimental course on art therapy with children on the autism spectrum together with Kyiv artist Anatoliy Stepanenko.
2005-2007 The Foundation took an active part in advocating for performance as a separate art form that was little known to Ukrainians. We successfully searched for performance venues and documented them.
In 2006, the Association of Contemporary Art Workers together with the prominent Ukrainian artist Vinny Reunov founded the most democratic graphic portfolio project "A4, Ballpoint Pen" (originally called "Artists Draw"). Over the 15 years of the project's existence, more than 1000 artists have participated in it, and it has become a springboard for many to other visual arts fields: illustration, animation, decorative practices, and art therapy.
In 2007, activists of the AUCCMU initiated the Culture Against Vandalism movement, which was aimed at countering the raider seizure and destruction of architectural monuments in the historical core of Kyiv. The movement was accompanied not only by street actions but also by artistic events.
In 2008, ADSMU became an active participant in the debate on the need to create a cadastre of cultural objects, and the Ukrainian House organized a roundtable on this issue.
The year 2009 was marked by the active participation of ADSMU activists in cultural diplomacy, presenting the portfolio of the project "A4, Ballpoint Pen" at the main artistic platform of the Baltic States "Art Vilnius", and also contributed to the organization of the visual and pictorial part of the cultural festival "GOGOLFEST" in 2009-2010.
The largest project realized with the participation of AUCAA members in 2009 was a large-scale retrospective project of Ukrainian sculpture and plastic arts "De Profundis", which brought together collections of various museums with exhibits from Trypillia to modern wooden sculptures of the twenty-first century. The exhibition was timed to coincide with the opening of the Mystetskyi Arsenal.
The years 2009-2011 were also marked by an active struggle against attempts to introduce censorship and put pressure on contemporary Ukrainian art. Members of the Association of Ukrainian Artists helped to organize the quick-action art actions "Teach the Bad" and "UPORNO", as well as the poster contest "STOP Censorship!".
In 2010 as part of the cultural diplomacy development program, members of the AUACDU, together with the artist Vinny Reunov, took part in the Freize Art Fair London with the performance "Ukrainian Art Intervention".
The years 2013-2014 were dedicated to the organization of a large-scale all-Ukrainian analytical exhibition "Ukrainian Landscape", which brought together more than 100 authors and over 200 works at Mystetskyi Arsenal.
In 2015 ADSMU activists were actively involved in the rescue and restoration of the Zhovten Cinema, which was damaged in a fire. Historians, urbanists, civic activists, and architects were involved in the debate. Thanks to the public outcry, the cinema was saved from demolition and restored with due regard for its historical context and original architectural constructivist style.
As part of its ongoing cultural diplomacy program, in 2015, the AUCAA activists presented the portfolio of the A4, Ballpoint Pen project at ArtVilnius.
In cooperation with the New Ukraine Investment Forum, the AUCSU and Karas Gallery organized an exhibition for foreign guests, Contemporary Art of New Ukraine, and published a gift catalog that was given to each guest.
Also in 2015, in cooperation with the Igor Yankovsky Foundation, an all-Ukrainian children's drawing competition "My Peaceful Country" was held, in which the AUCCIU provided resources for processing the works, jurying and organizing a subsequent exhibition of works at the UN Headquarters in New York.
From the very beginning of 2016, members and activists of the ADSMU launched a large charity fundraiser for the treatment of a rare cancer for a young artist Oleksandra Skliarenko. Treatment was possible only in Germany and cost more than 100,000 euros. All available resources were used for the charity fundraiser, and as a result, the required amount for treatment was raised in 7 months.
In parallel with this charitable activity, a major research project on online certification and registration of works of art was completed and launched in 2016. The research and development of such a system has been carried out by members of the AIAA since 2009, following a roundtable discussion held in 2008. The web interface of this database is the artstorepro.com resource, where the UAAA provides free platforms for professional artists to post their works.
In 2016-2017, members of the Association of Contemporary Art Workers of Ukraine initiated a large retrospective intermuseum project Kyiv Landscape. "Kyiv Landscape" became is the largest exhibition of Kyiv landscape in the history of Ukraine with an ambitious goal to show the beauty of Kyiv, to feel its uniqueness, to trace how the city is transforming through the historical optics of artists of different generations. The best works were provided from their collections: Museum of Kyiv History, National Art Museum, Kyiv Art Gallery, famous contemporary artists and private collectors.
2018 he year was marked for the ADSMU by the organization of another major intermuseum project "Ukrainian Still Life". A still life is a thing that can exist outside of space and time, but at the same time is an internal reflection of the artist's sensual world, literally the work of his hands. Only in still life, as in no other genre, does the artist fully experience the power of the Creator, because it is in still life that he is in control of the space where the act of creation will take place and the objects from which the composition is built. The project participants are: National Center of Folk Culture "Ivan Honchar Museum", National Art Museum of Ukraine, Institute of Contemporary Art, National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery", Odesa Art Museum, Kharkiv Municipal Gallery, Dzyga Art Gallery, NT Artgallery, Karas Gallery.
Also in 2018, as part of its social assistance, the AUACMU initiated a large charity auction to help the daughter of artist Taras Burlin, Vasylina. The child was ill with a very complex form of blood cancer that can only be treated in the Vatican. More than 100 Ukrainian artists were involved in raising funds for the charity auction. The amount of more than 200,000 euros was raised and transferred for the girl's treatment in 8 months.
From 2017 to 2020, ADSMU activists paid great attention to cultural and educational activities, and held a series of artist talks, public lectures, and seminars aimed primarily at creative youth. The lectures were given by historians, architects, cultural activists, art critics, artists, art historians, and musicians. Also in 2017, the AUCAA proposed and implemented an internship program for young professionals in art institutions to gain practical experience. Including in the office and workspaces of the Association.
From 2020,Due to the outbreak of the CoVID-2019 pandemic, the activities of the ACAA were closed. In this regard, the SAAU provided an opportunity for artists who lost the opportunity to earn money to store their paintings on the territory of their premises.
In parallel, the Association continued to work with the international cultural diplomacy program. In 2020, activists of the Association and its partners organized an unprecedented exposition of the Ukrainian pavilion at the largest Nordic festival NordArt. In 2021, the project "Borders of Reality" was shown, with the cross-cutting narrative of Russia's aggression in Ukraine. The works of Ukrainian sculptor Maria Kulikovska from the Ukrainian pavilion dedicated to the Russian invasion received the highest award of the festival.
In 2022, despite the full-scale invasion, the members of the Association did not stop their activities in the field of cultural diplomacy. The members of the Association held a number of artistic photo exhibitions in the EU countries dedicated to the full-scale invasion and humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine. A member of the Association of Ukrainian Cultural Organizations became a representative of Ukraine in the European Cultural Parliament.