10 UKRAINE: FIELDS OF PLOUGH, FIELDS OF WAR
Since 24 February 2022, Ukraine has been engulfed in a war instigated by the Russian Federation. This conflict has caused immeasurable loss of life and extensive damage to military and civilian infrastructure. It has also severely impacted Ukraine's agriculture, which stands as a critical component of the country's national economy and identity.
The exhibition provides an insight into Ukrainian agriculture prior to the outbreak of the war, detailing operational conditions and production focus, as well as the role agriculture played in producing key commodities. One section highlights the damage and challenges encountered by Ukrainian farmers and traders as a result of the conflict. The interconnectedness of global supply chains means that Russian aggression has led to worldwide food price increases. The deliberate destruction of Ukrainian agriculture by Russia is thus part of a broader hybrid war strategy, which has also affected our country. The exhibition reflects the state of Ukrainian agriculture as of September 2023. Two historical sections provide context for the current conflict: an overview of the famines in Soviet Ukraine during the 20th century and the construction activities carried out by the Vítkovice Mining and Metallurgical Company and its successors in present-day Ukraine. The exhibition panels are located at the Hradčanská Praha 6 bus stop.
At the heart of the exhibition are three authentic exhibits – wrecks of agricultural machinery damaged in the spring of 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These machines, preserved in their original state from locations later liberated by the Ukrainian army, symbolise the ongoing irreversible damage caused by the war. Due to the significant destruction of the tractor and combine harvester, augmented reality 3D models complement the physical display. Symbolically, these machines are placed in front of the Russian Federation Embassy in Prague 6. Additionally, the exhibition features a virtual reality experience, transporting viewers to the damaged farms in Ukraine through short 360° scenes, viewable at the National Museum of Agriculture in Prague 7.
This new exhibition concept is part of the Czech Ministry of the Interior's "Putin's Hunger" project. The exhibition is held under the auspices of President Petr Pavel, Minister of Agriculture Marek Výborný, Minister of the Interior Vít Rakušan, Minister of Culture Martin Baxa, Governor of the Moravian-Silesian Region Jan Krkoška, and Mayor of the Statutory City of Ostrava Jan Dohnal.
Realization
Ivan Berger, Štěpán Daněk, Lenka Karaka, Marta Krusberská, Semen Lysytskyi
Exhibition partner: Ministry of the Interior
Image reproduction: Vladimír Hostinský, National Museum of Agriculture Archives
Art installation: Volodymyr Kolbasa, Vartan Markarian, Vadim Makhitka
Exhibits: Trigon Export
Augmented Reality: Čeněk Štrichel
Transport of machinery: Agromino, ČD Cargo Logistics, Jakub König, Rotary Club Pardubice
Production/Installation: Art Consultancy, s.r.o., ČERNOHORSKÝ s.r.o., Jakub König, Radek Večeřa,
Martin Slováček
Printed by: JR SOFT, s.r.o.
Acknowledgements
Agromino, A Gift for Putin, Moravian-Silesian Region, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic, Embassy of the Czech Republic in Warsaw, Zdeněk Novák, Michal Sláma, Melanka Yuei, employees of farms in Krasne and Lukashivka villages in Chernihiv region, Lukáš Lisník, Ondřej Štarman