CREATIVITY OF THE WORKSHOP ARTISTS OF THE «KYIV INSTITUTE OF AUTOMATION»: THE HISTORY OF THE CREATION OF THE COMMUNITY AND EXHIBITION ACTIVITIES

Abstract

The article explores the artistic center that emerged on the basis of the Kyiv Institute of Automation (KIA) at 22 Nahirna Street. Since 2016, this space has become a workshop for more than 120 artists, creating a cultural center that can be compared to the squats of BZh Art and Parkomuna in the 1990s in Kyiv. However, the activities of this association have not yet been properly researched and documented in the scientific and journalistic literature. The purpose of this article is to document the activities of this artistic center, its stages of development, and exhibition projects. It is also important to record the composition of participants in group projects and exhibition concepts. Research methods. The research is based on the historiographical method, as well as methods of systemic and structural-functional analysis. Results. Most information about CIA is available in online publications and social networks, on the websites of the galleries where the projects took place. Accordingly, not only is there not enough information, but there is also a risk of losing scattered data and its low availability for further researchers. The process of organizing the community took place over 5 years and was divided into two directions: the creation of a public association that initiated the sustainable exposition form “Open Workshop Days” and a grouping of KIA artists who have a common artistic program. The article examines the process of the KIA's community emergence, starting with the rental of premises and ending with the emergence of regular exhibitions under the general title “Open Workshop Days”. The article also describes key exhibition projects, such as the “Scheme of Assembly” (2023), which involved more than 60 KIA artists. Conclusions. The research has identified the main stages of KIA's activities. It is proved that the artistic association based on the Kyiv Institute of Automation is an important element of the contemporary cultural space of Kyiv. It provides a platform for artists of different styles and directions, uniting them into a community through regular exhibitions “Open Workshop Day”. The community's peculiarity is the absence of mandatory participation in projects, which makes the community open and flexible. The implementation of the large-scale project “Assembly Scheme” demonstrated the growing importance of KIA in the artistic environment of Kyiv.