I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
’My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look at my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!’
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sand stretch far away”
— Percy Bysshe Shelley
Portrait #1
December 2022
Kyiv
Created in December 2022 in Kyiv, this portrait was created by displaced Ukrainians, primarily from the Donbass region, as a performative art piece to be sold at auction.
Hidden behind a veiled curtain, displaced people were invited to step inside, and to their surprise, come face to face with a gilded portrait of the man responsible for their suffering.
Responsible for spreading lies to their friends and families, the death of their loved ones, and for taking their home away. I remember vividly how the very first person to walk into the room just stood there in shock and anger before leaving. Fear, shock, anger, frustration. For some, it was so intense they wouldn’t even dare approach it.
But for those who stayed it, next to the portrait laid a porcelain tea set prepared poured fresh with paints. Ready to transform the emotions of the people onto the face of the great dictator.
Portrait #2
April 2024
New York
The second portrait was born out of a moment of urgency. We learned from a friend that the Russian Mariinsky Ballet Theater was planning a surprise performance in New York. We knew we had to act.
Warfare is fought not only on the battlefield, but also in the cultural sphere. This is how Russia has long exerted an outsized influence in the West, by using cultural events to normalize its presence and, in turn, its aggression.
By allowing Russian cultural performances to proceed unchecked, there is a risk of normalizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its hostility toward neighboring countries.
Partnering with friends in New York and with the support of members of the New York State Assembly, we joined forces and organized a protest.
In the end, the performance was cancelled.
Portrait #3
September 2024
Burning Man
Burning Man 2024
The story behind the “A Portrait by the People”
The idea for creating this portrait came to me in a dream during my 1.5 years on the ground mission in Ukraine. We were invited to participate in an auction to raise funds for displaced Ukrainians.
From this, I conceived the idea for an immersive art experience where participants could immediately reflect their emotions through drawing, writing, or other forms of expression directly on a canvas. My inspiration for this concept was drawn from Marina Abramović’s exhibition “The Artist is Present” at MoMA. I aimed to evoke the artist in each participant, allowing them to express and release their emotions as they confront the source of their pain, the catalyst for the changes in their lives and their disrupted peace.
The plan is to create a series of these immersive art experiences across different cities. This approach will allow people to express their anger and pain in various locations, offering them a meaningful outlet for their emotions and a chance to contribute to a collective narrative of resilience and healing.
- Zhanna Galeyeva