about the project
Land-art and Archaeology: new synergy through the borders
The idea to combine the land art and archaeology was born as the result of successful art residency in Tyagin in summer of 2021. During the archaeological expedition, two Lithuanian five Ukrainian artists worked side by side with archaeologists. They created landart and environmental art objects, which but gave birth to new deep meanings on the border between archaeology, history and art.
The new project goes further – it develops artistic and digital tools to strengthen international and interdisciplinary cooperation, strengthens cultural ties between Ukraine and Lithuania.
The innovation of the project is the synergy of landart and archaeology.
Land-art combines works of art with the natural landscape and expands boundaries of art by the materials used and the siting of the works.
Natalya Bimbiraite, Head of the "Ukraine-Lithuania Cultural Center":
"In recent years, it was Tyagin that gave discoveries that became iconic not only for science, but also for the whole Ukraine, because they restore the true medieval history of the South. Lithuanian artefacts, coins from the times of Ulus of Juchi, the Crimean Khanate and Poland, beautiful dishes, and, of course, an incredible find of 2021 – a mace of 15th century, a symbol of our power and statehood, which was found on the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence. Different cultures, different peoples lived in the Northern Black Sea region long before its occupation in the 18th century by the Russian Empire. There is no mention of the civilizing role of Catherine II at all, because the highly developed centre of civilization was here as early as the 14th century."Novorossiya" could not be a historical region (as russian propaganda claims), because it was the same occupation of foreign lands that we saw in 2022”.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of archaeological finds, which finally disproved the historical myth about the so-called " Novorossiya". On the eve of the war, the findings of the Southern Medieval Expedition managed to be taken out of Kherson and saved them from russian marauders.
The year 2022 was supposed to be a continuation of cooperation between artists and archaeologists of Ukraine and Lithuania. However, the expedition to Tyagin had to be cancelled due to the military invasion of russia.
Olena Afanasyeva, project curator:
"In Lithuania, the partner of our project is the Akmenė History Museum. When the director of the museum, Arunas Ostrauskis, came to Tyagin and saw incredible art projects, inspired by archaeology, he said: "I want art activities of such kind in Akmenė!" After that, we started thinking about how to make this dream come true. Because of the war, this year we were unable to host artists and archaeologists in the Kherson region of Ukraine. However, we managed to meet at the excavations in Lithuania and prove that we have common European history and culture."
In the first version of the project the purpose of creating the web-site was to spread the idea of the synergy of art and archaeology, the development of tourist locations in Ukraine and Lithuania. Due to the beginning of full-scale russia's military aggression against Ukraine, the meaning and content of the web-site have undergone changes. We decided that the web-site will record the history and philosophy of the project from the idea to the logical point (but not to completion, because the project laid a strong foundation for further development).The web-site itself has become a separate artistic product that shows the history of the project as a living organism that changes, adapts to circumstances and conditions – and becomes stronger.
The project is the result of cooperation between the NGO "Centre of Cultural Development "Totem", the NGO "Cultural Centre of Ukraine-Lithuania", and the Akmenė History Museum.
It was realised with the assistance of the Institute of Archaeology and the Archaeological Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Vinnytsia Regional Museum of Local Lore, the NGO "Laboratory of Actual Creativity" (Vinnytsia).
The project " Land-art and Archaeology: new synergy through the borders " is supported by the European Union under the "House of Europe" program.
The project is the result of the cooperation of the NGO "Centre of Cultural Development "Totem",
KhMGO "Ukraine-Lithuania Cultural Center", Akmyanye History Museum. With the assistance of the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Archaeological Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Vinnytsia Regional Museum of Local Lore,
NGO "Laboratory of Current Creativity" (Vinnytsia)
The project "Lendart and archaeology: new synergy across borders" is supported by the European Union
under the "House of Europe" program.
