On February 5, a public discussion was held at the Ukrainian House National Center in Kyiv on the preparation of the Ukrainian pavilion for participation in the 61st Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art. Representatives of the Pokrovsk community joined the discussion.
Ukraine will be represented by the art project "Security Guarantees," whose key symbol will be the concrete sculpture "Deer" by artist Zhanna Kadyrova, created in 2019 for Leontovich Park in Pokrovsk. After the start of the full-scale invasion, the object was evacuated from the frontline city to preserve cultural heritage.
The story of the Pokrovsk deer became the basis for a project that raises the issue of the fragility of peace, international security guarantees, and the stability of Ukrainian society. At the Biennale, the sculpture will be shown in the moment of "detachment" from the pedestal — as an image of loss and hope for return. The exhibition will be complemented by a documentary film about the evacuation of the object and archival materials.
The 61st Venice Biennale will run from May 9 to November 22, 2026, and is one of the most prestigious art events in the world. The participation of the Pokrovsk deer in the pavilion is intended to draw the attention of the international community to the experience of Ukrainian communities living in wartime.
Based on materials from the Pokrovsk City Military Administration