Ukrainian artist ZINAЇDA presents her work at the FOOD OF WAR exhibition in Columbia
Ukrainian artist ZINAЇDA will take part in the exhibition of the international collective FOOD OF WAR, which will open on November 15 at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Colombian capital – the city of Bogota. ZINAЇDA 's creation is a ceramic panel with varenyky (dumplings) and pelmeni, called THE SECOND BREAD.

In her work, the artist reinterprets the idea of time, when happen things that are absolutely contrary to the principles of morality; the idea of time times when the main human values – humanity, peace and love are unjustifiably paling into insignificance. We live in the world where people are still deprived of the possibility to meet their simplest needs. The inability to feed themselves and their children, the loss of the ability to see their relatives, to have a roof over their heads – these are all the consequences of a brutal and ruthless war. But it's enough to, at least for a moment, rise above the circumstances that cause these horrors - and you begin to realize that there is something simpler and much more important: we, literally everyone, are people. We are free creatures, and everyone has the right to be happy and, first of all, the right to peace. And in this freedom we are all united. Therefore, it looks wild and absurd when tragic events happen between neighbouring nations. As if the pelmeni had quarrelled with the varenyky.

Traditionally, for Ukrainians varenyky are the second dish after bread. The variety of their fillings exceeds 100 kinds. An equally important place in Russian cuisine is occupied by pelmeni. An equally important place in Russian cuisine is occupied by dumplings. They are similar to varenyky in the method of preparation and their original function - sacrifice. In shape, varenyky resemble a new moon symbolizing the female. Pelmeni look like the sun, which shows us the inseparable unity of eternity and finiteness.

The exhibition will feature over 16 artists from different countries exploring the history of international conflicts and the role of food in the society. Initially, as the founders of the FOOD OF WAR art team say, the project was intended to explore the relationship between food and war through the social and cultural phenomena of the Middle East, but the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Chornobyl nuclear catastrophe, has given rise to a development of the gastroperformance in the vector of the Eastern European question.

The exhibition will run until February 29, 2020.