According to the Federal Statistical Office, 23.8 million people with a migration background live in Germany today. As a result of the Russian Federation's attack on the territory of Ukraine, around 1.5 million Ukrainians have become part of this number. In the long two years since the first refugees arrived, many people have managed to integrate into German society. As a result, there is an inevitable process of mutual cultural enrichment. Every day, Ukrainian resettlers learn about German history and culture and, in turn, lift the veil of Ukrainian cultural heritage. The status of "terra incognita" that Ukraine had in the global art system is slowly becoming a thing of the past.

It is already becoming apparent that the tectonic shift that has taken place in the European world since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war will not pass without a trace - we are facing turbulent years of change. And as in every period of historical upheaval, the visual arts will become an important mirror and archivist of events, a basis for discussion about the prospects for the future.

"Memories of the Future" is a visual collection and study of artistic reflections, premonitions and revelations that aims to convey the current history of mass migration and pose the question: "What common future awaits us?"

Participating artists:
Bahar Batvand, Sofiia Holubeva, Yurii Koval, Tetiana Malinovska, Valeria Osina, Mariia Petrenko, Oksana Pyzh, Vitalii Shupliak, Leyla Toprak, Artem Volokitin, Igor Zeidel

An open call was held to organize the exhibition, as the curatorial team considers it very important to give all artists the opportunity to participate. The selection criterion was the quality of the execution of the submitted works as well as the degree of conformity with the concept of the exhibition project.

Curator of the exhibition: Anna Petrova, SPSG
Curatorial support: Dr. Ulrike Schmiegel-Rietig, SPSG
Curatorial assistance: Björn Ahlhelm, Antje Lange, both SPSG

Translated with DeepL