“Kollina” is a welded metal sculpture created in 2013 by the Ukrainian artist Olexa Furdiyak. It measures 4 meters in height and weighs about 300 kg.

The artwork will travel along the San Marco Basin after passing in front of the Giardini and the Arsenale; it will approach Punta delle Dogana, and will then travel along the Grand Canal to the station, and then retrace the same itinerary in reverse. The sculpture will begin to move from the afternoon until sunset, pausing at some points.

If you will not be present in Venice, you can watch the live streaming of the city below and wait to see it pass over the water

“Kollina” (“knee” in the Ukrainian language) recalls the pose in which the honors were received, a solemn position that can only be assumed by a free person, who pursues justice. The sculpture also has arms perpendicular to the body, as a sign of openness and freedom.

As the artist himself explains: “Openness and determination are intrinsic characteristics of free people. Independence and freedom are of primary importance for human existence”.

The choice of the work is made by the curator Solomia Savchuk (head of contemporary at the Mystetskyi Arsenal, the center for contemporary art in Kyiv) and it will be exhibited at the entrance to Gallerie delle Prigioni (exhibition venue of Fondazione Imago Mundi) from 5 May 2022, on the occasion of the opening of the exhibition Ukraine: Short Stories. Contemporary artists from Ukraine, which consists of a continuation and expansion of the exhibition of the Imago Mundi Collection Ukraine currently in display at the MAXXI in Rome until Monday 25 April 2022. All proceeds will be donated to the fund for the humanitarian emergency in Ukraine set up by UNHCR, UNICEF, and the Red Cross.

Grazie a Marco Bruna de "la Lettura" del Corriere della Sera per l'articolo di oggi dedicato a "Kollina": la statua dell'artista ucraino Olexa Furdiyac, arrivata dall'Ucraina a Treviso. Venerdì 22 aprile potrete vederla esposta a Venezia, navigante su una chiatta! pic.twitter.com/8unOOyx5XF

— Fondazione Imago Mundi – Gallerie delle Prigioni (@fond_imagomundi) April 19, 2022

The presence of this work in Venice was made possible by Fondazione Imago Mundi. “Kollina” has been brought to Italy from Ukraine at the beginning of April with a journey made by the team of Fondazione Imago Mundi, thanks to the collaboration with the curator Solomia Savchuk.