Patriotism

The project titled Patriotism by the R.E.P. collective (an acronym for Revolutionary Experimental Space) was initiated in 2006. The artists are continuously developing an open dictionary of pictograms which are at the foundation of the language of images which is assumed to be comprehensible regardless of culture. The pictograms, based on graphic motifs which evoke more or less obvious associations, are to help convey universal messages. Each work created as part of the Patriotism series is first and foremost a concise communiqué.

The collective was established during the Orange Revolution (2004), and work on the language of pictograms was inspired by experiences during the event. While at a demonstration in Kyiv, members of R.E.P. chanted slogans which were met with not just incomprehension but even aggression (such as “spirituality for all”). In the context of the events which had inspired the project, the title gains a symbolic significance. Patriotism is a work of an almost positivist nature, aimed at negotiating one’s own place in the new political reality.

One of the main problems which the artists bring up in the language of pictures is the question of relations between Ukraine and Western Europe. This particular motif of the project, which was presented in different European galleries, was each time focused on different aspects, such as the image of Ukraine in Western European countries, the construction of a new society, and the functioning of the stereotypes regarding the European Union among Ukrainians, who are just as enthusiastic as they are hostile about its structures. The analysis of Ukrainians’ identity and awareness, as well as their attitude towards a united Europe is a mission aimed at eliminating the border between East and West that is present in our minds. Its objective is to question the stereotypical images of Ukraine, which is often associated with such phenomena as prostitution or cheap labour. R.E.P. proposes to substitute these negative connotations with intellectual potential, energy, solidarity and unity – values which are instrumental in building a new community.

Izabela Kopania