Euromaidan 2014

Alevtyna Kakhidze made this pen on paper drawing titled 'Euromaidan' in 2014. It depicts a location in Kyiv, Ukraine, during a period of intense political and social upheaval known as the Euromaidan Revolution. The drawing uses a deliberately naive style to confront profound questions about the relationship between political movements, geographical space, and the artist’s personal experiences. Notice how the barricades and street blockades, rendered in stark lines, dominate the composition. They reflect the physical and ideological divisions that marked Ukrainian society at the time. The title references the Maidan Nezalezhnosti, or Independence Square, which became the epicenter of protests against government corruption and Russian influence. Kakhidze's drawing captures the way public space was transformed into a site of resistance and negotiation. The work also subtly critiques the institutional framing of art. By presenting a raw, unfiltered view of a politically charged environment, Kakhidze challenges the conventional museum’s role as a detached observer. Understanding this work involves researching the complex history of Ukrainian-Russian relations, the dynamics of social movements, and the artist’s own biography.