THE EXHIBITION PROJECT «CONCENTRATION OF THE WILL» AS A FORM OF CULTURAL RESISTANCE IN THE CONTEXT OF RUSSIA'S FULL-SCALE INVASION OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The aim of the article is to analyze the exhibition project «Concentration of the Will», which took place in 2023 at the M17 Contemporary Art Center in Kyiv, as an example of an artistic response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the russian federation, and to determine its role as a form of cultural resistance. The focus is placed on the curatorial concept, the visual strategies embedded in the project, and the analysis of the selected artworks that demonstrate the capacity of contemporary art to transform the experience of war into a mechanism of resistance. Methodology. The study employs art historical, comparative-analytical, historical, and structural-semantic methods. Results. The research demonstrates that the “Concentration of the Will” exhibition is not only a reaction to wartime events, but also part of a broader cultural response aimed at demythologizing imperial narratives and reinterpreting the categories of “will,” “truth,” and “identity” through artistic language. Emphasis is placed on the ability of art to construct an alternative symbolic reality that resists russian propaganda by exposing its artificiality, aggression, and manipulative nature. Conclusions. The exhibition represents a new form of cultural resistance in which the aesthetic, ethical, and political aspects coexist within a unified artistic space. The project functions as a means of artistic resistance to russian propaganda, not only documenting the present but also shaping a shared vision of the future by fostering resistance through culture. The study identifies specific features of artistic thinking under existential threat, which prompted a shift in emphasis within the visual narrative. The exhibition highlights the distinctive role of art as a medium for communication and the interpretation of reality in the context of war.