Diana Berg – an activist and artist from Donetsk, Diana is the founder of the protest movement Donetsk is Ukraine. In 2014, she relocated from the occupied city to Mariupol, where, in 2016, she established Platform Tu—a hub for social change and the promotion of human rights and freedoms through culture and art. Diana served as its curator for six years until Russia’s brutal assault on the city. After surviving the siege of Mariupol, she moved to Kyiv, where her team continues its work. In the summer of 2022, Diana coordinated the Ukrainian program at Documenta 15 in Kassel. She has been recognized by Ukraine’s Parliament with an award for her contributions to resisting the occupation of Donetsk. Since the invasion, Diana has continued her work as an artist and cultural manager, raising awareness about the war in Ukraine among European audiences, curating artistic and youth projects, and assisting in the evacuation of people from occupied territories.

Vira Protskykh – a civic leader, artist, curator, and member of Platform Tu, Vira was born and raised in Mariupol. Following the February 24 invasion, she was forced to leave Mariupol and initially lived in Rivne. Currently, she resides and works in Riga, Latvia, as a curator and mentor for the Ukrainian creative community.

Platform Tu – Platform Tu operated as an art space in Mariupol from 2016 to 2022 and has since evolved into a collective. Its mission focuses on promoting human rights and freedoms through inclusive culture and contemporary art while increasing the visibility of Eastern Ukraine in Europe. Platform Tu was the only independent art space in Eastern Ukraine, championing values such as underground culture, innovative ideas, and human rights. For six years, it served as a hub for local activism, culture, and informal education for teenagers from vulnerable groups.

With the full-scale invasion, the team survived and evacuated despite the destruction of Mariupol and the occupation of their space. Now operating in exile, Platform Tu engages in volunteer work, supports refugees, evacuates people and animals, raises funds, collaborates with European institutions, and assists displaced teenagers.

Installation “Wherehaveyoubeen. 2014–2022”

The installation features flags that represent the key themes for which Mariupol protested creatively and organized street actions over the years. At the centre of the composition is Platform Tu’s 2018 flag, which Diana Berg smuggled out of the Mariupol siege through Russian checkpoints in March 2022. This work offers a concise response to the question often used to undermine the agency of residents in territories occupied since 2014: “Where have you been for eight years?”