Still Joy: From Ukraine into the World
Collateral exhibition La Biennale di Venezia 2026, Palazzo Contarini
May 09 – August 01, 2026

Still Joy: From Ukraine into the World brings together leading international and Ukrainian artists reflecting on the concept of joy as both a vital force and a radical act of humanity. The exhibition’s starting point and disruptive agent are the testimonies collected by the Ukrainian story gatherer Hlib Stryzhko, a marine, veteran, and former prisoner of war.

These stories are anchoring fragments of reality within the exhibition. It begins with a video installation of rave scenes in Kyiv, captured before and during the full-scale war, by prominent Ukrainian artist duo Malashchuk & Khimei. Nearby are Aliinyk’s landscape paintings, where small animal life vibrates under a soft moonlit glow, and a video essay by Armianovski, blending the reality of war and discovering dreams seen by the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

The first section culminates in a new site-specific, immersive installation by Simone Post, reimagining the palazzo’s interior through an ephemeral architectural structure made of candy, inviting visitors into a moment of childlike joy. The exhibition continues with individual stories, memories of lost communities, and contemplations of love. Future Generation Art Prize winners Ashfika Rahman (Main Prize, 2024) and Zhanna Kadyrova (Special Prize, 2014) address forced displacement through endurance, care, and responsibility in their unique works.

Rahman’s radiant installation of Hindu temple bells suspended by golden silk threads appears in conversation with plants salvaged from bombed Ukrainian buildings: Kadyrova’s site-specific installation composed of light boxes and living plants, figures of “refugees” in transit, receiving healing and care.  Across all its layers, Still Joy responds to the present moment, originating in Ukraine and extending beyond, to a place that is fragile, yet resilient, where joy endures.

more. www.pinchukartcentre.com