- Title: Ukrainian artists turn arms into art
- Date: 27th September 2016
- Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (SEPTEMBER 26, 2016) (REUTERS) ART OBJECT IN SHAPE OF EYE BY UKRAINIAN ARTISTS, DARIA MARCHENKO AND DANIEL GREEN, ENTITLED "HONOUR" CLOSE OF PUPIL MADE OF BULLET CASES SURROUNDED BY RETINA MADE OF SHRAPNEL SHADOWS ON OBJECT MARCHENKO AND GREEN ADJUSTING ART WORK CALLED "HEART OF WAR" GREEN HOLDING FRAGMENT OF SHELL IN FRONT OF ART OBJECT ART OBJECT WHITE OF EYE MADE OF PAGES OF BUDAPEST MEMORANDUM SIGNATURES OF UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, LEONID KUCHMA, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, BORIS YELTSIN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, JOHN MAJOR, AND PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, BILL CLINTON, UNDER BUDAPEST MEMORANDUM DATED DECEMBER 5, 1994 (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UKRAINIAN ARTIST, DANIEL GREEN, SAYING: "This material is the best to convey the energy of war. It is impossible to describe what is going on at the frontline, what is going on in Ukraine just with paints. This energy is conveyed through torn GRAD pieces which took people's lives." BULLET CASES (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UKRAINIAN ARTIST, DANIEL GREEN, SAYING: "You can see that Russian military shoulder straps do not have stars as they are a symbol of dishonour. In general, it is an eye of history, an eye of mankind which looks at the world leaders and sees the bankruptcy of international law." VARIOUS OF MARCHENKO TURNING AROUND SCULPTURE IN SHAPE OF GRENADE CALLED "BRAIN OF WAR" "HEART OF WAR" ON DISPLAY CHEST MADE OF EMPTY BULLET CASES (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UKRAINIAN ARTIST, DARIA MARCHENKO, SAYING: "These works used to constantly bring us adventures. First of all (work) materials kept changing. For example, we were given shells which looked more spectacular, then we were given exploded shells which gave us an opportunity to create an effect of retina in the painting "Honour". You can see that this or that material is better and you start add and adjust some things. And at some point, we did not know whether we would finish it or not. There was panic, tears." FRAGMENT OF ART WORK MADE OF BULLET CASES (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UKRAINIAN ARTIST, DARIA MARCHENKO, SAYING: "In front of you, you can see a decapitated robot. It is a dictator who loses his head while chasing profit, expansion of his influence and territories. And he does not notice how he turns into a mental cyborg in the course of this race - his hands turn into oil pumps, his heart pumps oil instead of blood, and his heart cannot feel compassion for people around him." FRAGMENT OF ART WORK MADE OF BULLET CASES (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UKRAINIAN ARTIST, DARIA MARCHENKO, SAYING: "It's a collective image of a dictator, but of course, Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin) was an inspiration for us as we know how much he loves his country's natural resources." PART OF SHELL VARIOUS OF MARCHENKO STANDING NEAR "HEART OF WAR" AND HOLDING EMPTY BULLET CASES IN HER HAND WORK OF ART ON DISPLAY
- Embargoed: 12th October 2016 12:43
- Keywords: Art painting Daria Marchenko Daniel Green shrapnel bullet east Ukraine
- Location: KIEV, UKRAINE
- City: KIEV, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA00151CDBO9
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Ukrainian artists Daria Marchenko and Daniel Green turn arms into works of art by making sculptures, collages and installations out of pieces of shrapnel and parts of weapons and ammunition.
Used cartridges, bombs, grenades, shells and other munition brought from the frontline in eastern Ukraine were turned into seven art objects called "Face of War" - a portrait of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, "Heart of War," "Brain of War," "Flash of War," "Fifth Element," "Honour" and "Alchemy."
"This material is the best to convey the energy of war. It is impossible to describe what is going on at the frontline, what is going on in Ukraine just with paints. This energy is conveyed through torn GRAD pieces which took people's lives," said one of the artists, Daniel Green.
Shrapnel for the art works was collected in the places which lived through the fiercest battles of the conflict in Ukraine's east and sustained heavy damage. They were Maryinka, Pisky village, Donetsk airport, Shyrokyne and Ilovaisk. Some of the shells were collected by Green himself.
The art object called "Honour" refers to Budapest Memorandum on Ukraine's non-nuclear status signed by Ukraine, the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom in 1994. All signatories obliged to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. However, Russia annexed Crimea in April 2014.
"You can see that Russian military shoulder straps do not have stars as they are a symbol of dishonour. In general, it is an eye of history, an eye of mankind which looks at the world leaders and sees the bankruptcy of international law," explained Green.
Art work in shape of a grenade with lenses in it has a title "Brain of War" and symbolizes propaganda which - according to the artists which is an important part of any armed conflict.
It took artists almost a year to complete the project which will soon be put on display in the U.S. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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