About the Unseen Force project

The Unseen Force project stands as a living testament to the unyielding spirit of Ukrainian citizens. It is dedicated to promoting the understanding that Ukraine is defined not merely by its territory or a flag fluttering outside your window but by the resilience and humanity of its people.

Ukraine is not just about territory: it’s about the people.

This exhibition shows us the history and the present of activist resistance movements, their work and activities, as well as the reaction of the artistic environment. The exhibition aims to restore the subjectivity of the population in the occupied territories, and highlight the role these people play in resisting the occupying regime. The Yellow Ribbon movement, which emerged in April 2022 in Kherson, and the Angry Mavka group, set up in 2023 in Melitopol, are currently waging a guerrilla war of information and sabotage. Then there are the Crimean Seagulls Warriors and Atesh, which provide tactical information to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Their resistance creates obstacles to the occupiers’ life and work wherever possible.

The role of women in this struggle provides its own narrative of power and defiance. These women reject the stereotypical role of victims and, instead, act as proactive vessels of Ukrainian identity.

Ukrainian resistance has been shaped over centuries: always creative and vibrant, satirical, and daring. The Ukraїner video from the De-occupation project; the shield from the Maidan of Roman Ratushny; cardboard caricatures of Russian liberators by Serhiy Zakharov standing on the streets of Donetsk in 2014; viral memes by Maksym Palenko; video stories about cultural sites filmed by the Museum Crisis Centre as part of the Wounded Culture project; the ‘Just pretend’ maze with posters by Crimean artist Antik Danov, which conveys the schizophrenic reality of the occupation that can vary depending on who you talk to and where you are; an art exhibition (co-curated by Tetiana Filevska) featuring works by artists Maria Kulikovska, Alevtina Kakhidze, Lia Dostleva, Yulia Po, Emine Ziyatdinova, Yulia Danilevska, Yana Golubiatnikova, and Diana Berg – these are all examples of resistance that the exhibition highlights.