Join contemporary Lviv-based photographer Marta Syrko (b. 1995) as she discusses her recently-commissioned series Wrapping Art—Art of Salvation, which debuted in MOIFA’s current exhibition Amidst Cries from the Rubble: Art of Loss and Resilience from Ukraine presented in the Mark Naylor and Dale Gunn Gallery of Conscience. Building on her earlier war-related Sculpture Series, Syrko will explore the ways in which the war has affected her artistic process and will provide a unique perspective on the physical and emotional transformations brought about by the conflict. The session will include a Q&A, allowing the audience to engage directly with Marta and explore her artistic journey alongside the profound themes of her work. ASL interpretation will be provided.
Syrko’s Wrapping Art—Art of Salvation (2024), commissioned expressly for Amidst Cries from the Rubble, captures the profound cultural ramifications of war and the unwavering resilience of the Ukrainian people. From the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukrainian citizens began wrapping public monuments in Lviv to protect and preserve them. Syrko documented these bandaged monuments, creating a series that reframes and records the critical activity of safeguarding cultural heritage as a distinct artistic practice. Divided into two categories, The Historic Era and The Contemporary Era, the series addresses the importance of preserving both Ukraine’s past and present for the sake of its future.
Taking inspiration from classical Greek and Roman sculptures, Sculpture Series (2022–ongoing) documents the narratives and experiences of Ukrainian soldiers, capturing their physical transformations and adaptations to new circumstances. At their most vulnerable—appearing nearly nude with minimal coverage and their battle scars clearly visible—Syrko uses light and composition to focus on the beauty and grace of their human form.
Marta Syrko’s program was made possible with the generous support from the Gale Family Foundation and TOKo Santa Fe.
We are also grateful to the International Folk Art Foundation, Friends of Folk Art, and donors to the Museum of New Mexico Exhibition Development Fund, including Mark Naylor and Dale Gunn, Gwenn and Eivind Djupedal, Rosalind Doherty, Barbara Forslund, and David Vogel and Larry Fulton, for their support of Amidst Cries from the Rubble and related programming.
Photo credit: Marta Syrko (b. 1995), Diana—Goddess of the Hunt from Wrapping Art—Art of Salvation, 2024, Courtesy of the artist.
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