Art of Maidan

In Art of Maidan, Moussienko gathers together and contextualizes various art pieces and projects that were created during protests, or that were inspired by them. She introduces readers to various sculptures, paintings, posters, musical performances, plays, literature and theater performances connected to the revolution.

Not all the art objects in the book fit comfortably into the classical definition of art. For example, Moussienko sees the metal carcass of Kyiv’s New Year tree, never fully assembled, and then covered with various political posters and flags, as an art installation. The tree is annually erected at Kyiv’s central square, but in 2013 its construction wasn’t finished because of the protests. The tree even became an official reason for the initial violent crackdown of police on the protesters, most of whom were students – a crackdown that generated widespread public disgust with the authorities and which fueled the mass protests.

Unlike many books about the revolution, “Art Of Maidan” doesn’t try to dissect the timeline of the protests or recreate events, but gives readers a feeling of presence through picking out artistic details that one could have easily missed in the mayhem.