SHATTERED: SYMBOLIC GESTURE

As the start of Putin’s abominable assault on Ukraine nears one year, join us in celebration of the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people through visual art & spoken word. Presented in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute of America, "SHATTERED: Symbolic Gesture" is a large-scale international collaboration that consists of a multimedia exhibition, conceived by the Romanian-Canadian visual artist and polymath Oana Maria Cajal, accompanied by a series of video-poems and public readings, offered by U.S.-based Romanian and Ukrainian poets. 

In abbreviated version, featuring 10 works by Oana Maria Cajal and short readings by Claudia Serea, Adela Sinclair and Vera Sirota, the project will be presented at the Ukrainian Institute of America as part of the Open House commemorative event on February 24, with readings starting at 5 pm. 

At the Romanian Cultural Institute, the complete exhibition opens on March 7 and is complemented by an evening of poetry reacting to the war in Ukraine, written and read by Adina Dabija, Olena Jennings, Mihaela Moscaliuc, and Vera Sirota.

Ukrainian Institute of America, Open House, Friday, February 24

Exhibition, 12-6 pm; Readings start at 5 pm

Romanian Cultural Institute, Tuesday, March 7

Multimedia Exhibition & Poetry Readings, 7-9 pm

The ekphrastic art and poetry project, initially presented in Italy as part of La MaMa Umbria International in June 2022 and at the Bucharest International Poetry Festival in September 2022, has so far featured Ana Blandiana, Angela Baciu, Cristina A. Bejan, Cătălina Florescu, Ioana Ieronim, Nora Iuga, Olena Jennings, Ruth Margraff, Dzvinia Orlowsky, Claudia Serea, and Sylvie Simmons.

The multimedia exhibition includes 24 collages – “picto-impulses” as described by Oana Maria Cajal – which bear the visceral imprint of an artist confronted with the horrors of war and in awe with the Ukrainian people’s stoic resourcefulness. The works are displayed together with an art & poetry video made by Ștefan Cajal and with music by famed american composer and pianist Michael Roth. 

The exhibition at the Romanian Cultural Institute’s Brâncuși Gallery will be open between March 7-24, 2023.