The beginning of the international art action VOLNANOVA was an online meeting of lecturers and students of the Department of Graphic Arts of the Educational and Scientific Institute for Publishing and Printing of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. On March 13, the students of SG-12 addressed Professor Oleksiy Rogotchenko with a request to resume lectures on fine arts, and on March 15 the first online meeting took place. 6 students joined the first lecture. Following lectures, which took the form of roundtable discussions, gathered students of in-person and part-time departments from different courses. On March 15, students and lecturers decided to start the Art Front.
Thus, was born the idea of creating relevant works (art that is made here and now) on the theme of the bloody war waged by Russia against Ukraine. On the same day a decision to ask other institutions of higher art education in Ukraine to take part in the action was made. O. Rogotchenko was appointed the main curator, S. Olianina - the regional curator from the Department of Graphic Arts, and D. Fedchenko - the student curator from Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
As of March 16, negotiations with the leading art universities of Ukraine were held. The Rector of Lviv National Academy of Arts V. Kosiv, Dean of the Faculty of Arts of Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University T. Zuyak, heads of departments from Ivano-Frankivsk - O. Chuiko, Lviv and Uzhhorod – A. Kopryva, Cherkasy – I. Yakovets, Poltava – T. Zinchnko, Kyiv – O. Shkolna, Kharkiv – V. Lysniak, occupied Kherson – O. Chepeliuk took part in the work. The Chairman of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine K. Chernyavsky, the Chairman of Kyiv organization of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine M. Kutniahov, the Director of Cherkasy Art Museum O. Gladun, the Deputy Director of the Modern Art Research Institute of Ukrainian Academy of Arts I. Savchuk joined the joint online meeting of the organizing committee.
A joint decision was made to inform the media about the opening of the Art Front and to invite other art organizations to join the All-Ukrainian information struggle against the aggressor.
The artistic action started in Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute was named VOLNANOVA. O. Rogotchenko, K. Chernyavsky, O. Gladun, I. Yakovets became the main curators. It was decided to place the action platform on the basis of the Cherkasy Art Museum. The exhibition of works of art is scheduled to be held in the halls of the Cherkasy Museum and in the halls of the Directorate of Art Exhibitions of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine in the postwar period.
VOLNANOVA became the first art platform in Ukraine with a clearly defined ideology, conditions, terms, documentary proof of authorship, consent to the publication of the author's name and the title of the work. VOLNANOVA gave an impuls to other artistic actions. As of now, charity art exhibitions are being held in Uzhhorod, Poltava, and Vynnytsia. The proceeds are donated to needs of the army and internally displaced persons. Other art platforms have started working, where modern and previously performed works are published.
Born on the students’ initiative, art action VOLNANOVA has grown into a powerful art exhibition, which presents topical works by experienced artists and student youth.